XITTZE  PItJTDY>S  FLYAWAY  SEMIE8. 


LITTLE   FOLKS 
ASTRAY. 


BY 

SOPHIE  MAY, 

AUTHOR  or  "LITTLE  PBUDY  STORIES,"  "DOTTY  DIMPLK 

6TOEIES,"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


'"  To  give  room  for  wandering  Is  it 
That  the  world  was  made  so  wide." 


BOSTOK: 
LEE  AND  SHEP^Br 

NEW  YORK: 
LEE,    SHEPARD    AND    DILLINGHAM. 

1874. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1872, 

BY  LEE  AND  SI1EPAKD, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington, 


tr> 


TO 

MY  YOUNG  FRIFND, 

M:  M:  jk  ^. 

"JOHNNIE  OPTIC." 


TO    PARENTS. 


HERE  come  the  Parlins  and  Cliffords 
again.  They  had  been  sent  to  bed  and 
nicely  tucked  in,  but  would  not  stay  asleep. 
They  "  wanted  to  see  the  company  down 
stairs;"  so  they  have  dressed  themselves, 
and  come  back  to  the  parlor.  I  trust  you 
will  pardon  them,  dear  friends.  Is  it  not 
a  common  thing,  in  this  degenerate  age, 
for  grown  people  to  frown  and  shake  their 
heads,  while  little  people  do  exactly  as 
they  please  ? 

Well,  one  thing  is  certain :  if  these 
children  insist  upon  sitting  up,  they  shall 
listen  to  lectures  on  self-will  and  disre- 


6 

spect  tb^sb^fcribrs;' Vhich.  will  make  their 
ears  tingle. 

Moreover,  they  shall  hear  of  other  peo 
ple,  and  not  always  of  themselves.  Fly 
Clifford,  who  expects  to  be  in  the  middle, 
will  be  somewhat  overwhelmed,  like  a  fly 
in  a  cup  of  milk ;  for  Grandma  Read  is  to 
talk  her  down  with  her  Quaker  speech, 
and  Aunt  Madge  with  her  story  of  the 
summer  when  she  was  a  child.  It  is  but 
fair  that  the  elders  should  have  a  voice. 
That  they  may  speak  words  which  shall 
come  home  to  many  little  hearts,  and  move 
them  for  good,  is  the  earnest  wish  of 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  LETTER,       ......  9 

II.  THE  UNDERTAKING, 22 

III.  THE  FROLIC,        .       .       *       .       .       .         38 

IY.  "TAKING  OUR  AIRS," 51 

Y.  DOTTY  HAVING  HER  OWN  WAY,  .  .  69 

YI.  DOTTY  EEBUKED,     .       .       .       .       .       .83 

VII.  THE  LOST  FLY,    ......         95 

VIII.  "  THE  FRECKLED  DOG,' '  .  .  .  .109 

IX.  MARIA'S  MOTHER, 126 

X.  FIYE  MAKING  A  CALL, 139 

XL  "THE  HEN-HOUSES,"  ....  153 

XII.    "GRANNY,"        .          .          .          .          .          .  .      170 

XIII.  THE  PUMPKIN  HOOD,         .       .       .       .        188 

(7) 


LITTLE  FOLKS  ASTRAY. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE   LETTER. 

KATIE  CLIFFORD  sat  on  the  floor,  in  the 
sun,  feeding  her  white  mice.  She  had  a 
tea-spoon  and  a  cup  of  bread  and  milk  in 
her  hands.  If  she  had  been  their  own 
mother  she  could  not  have  smiled  down  on 
the  little  creatures  more  sweetly. 

" '  Cause  I  spect  they's  hungry,  and  that's 
why  I'm  goin'  to  give  'em  sumpin'  to  eat. 
Shut  your  moufs  and  open  your  eyes,"  said 
she,  waving  the  tea-spoon,  and  spattering 
the  bread  and  milk  over  their  backs. 

(9) 


10  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"Quee,  quee,"  squeaked  the  little  mice, 
very  well  pleased  when  a  drop  happened 
to  go  into  their  mouths. 

"  What  are  you  doing  there,  Miss  Top 
knot,"  said  Horace  :  "  0,  I  see ;  catching 
rats." 

Flyaway  frowned  fearfully,  and  the  tuft 
of  hair  atop  of  her  head  danced  like  a 
war-plume. 

"  I  shouldn't  think  folks  would  call  'em 
names,  Hollis,  when  they  never  did  a 
thing  to  you.  Nothing  but  clean  white 
mouses ! " 

"Let's  see;  now  I  look  at 'em,  Topknot, 
they  are  white.  And  what's  all  this  paper  ?  " 

"  Bed-kilts." 

"Jrc-deed?" 

"  You  knew  it  by -fore  ! " 

"One,  two,  three;  I  thought  the  doctor 
gave  you  five.  Where  are  they  gone  ?  " 


THE    LETTER.  11 

"Well,  there  hasn't  but  two  died;  the 
rest'll  live,"  said  Fly,  swinging  one  of  them 
around  by  its  tail,  as  if  it  had  been  a  tame 
cherry. 

Just  then  Grace  came  and  stood  in  the 
parlor  doorway. 

"0,  fie!"  said  she;  "  what  work!  Ma 
doesn't  allow  that  cage  in  the  parlor.  You 
just  carry  it  out,  Fly  Clifford." 

Miss  Thistledown  Flyaway  looked  up  at 
her  sister  shyly,  out  of  the  corners  of  her 
eyes.  Grace  was  now  a  beautiful  young 
lady  of  sixteen,  and  almost  as  tall  as  her 
mother.  Flyaway  adored  her,  but  there 
was  a  growing  doubt  in  her  mind  whether 
sister  Grace  had  a  right  to  use  the  tone 
of  command. 

"  '  Cause  I  spect  she  isn't  my  mamma." 

"  Why,  Fly,  you  haven't  started  yet !  " 

"I  didn't  think   'twas   best,"   responded 


12  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

the  child,  sulkily,  fixing  her  eyes  on  the 
mice,  who  were  dancing  whirligigs  round 
the  wheel. 

"  Come  here  to  your  best  friend,  little 
Topknot,"  said  Horace.  "  Let's  take  that 
cage  into  the  green-house,  and  ask  papa 
to  keep  it  there,  because  the  mice  look 
like  water-lilies  on  long  stems.3' 

Flyaway  brightened  at  once.  She  knew 
water-lilies  were  lovely.  Giving  Grace  a 
triumphant  glance,  she  danced  across  the 
room,  and  put  the  cage  in  Horace's  hands, 
with  a  smile  of  trusting  love  that  thrilled 
his  heart. 

"Hollis   laughs   at  my  mouses,  but   he 
don't   say,  'Put  'em  away,'  and,  'Put  'em 
away;'  he  says,  * Little  gee-urls  wants   to. 
see    things    as    much    as    anybody   else,"J 
thought  she,  gratefully. 

"Horace,"   said   Grace,  with   a   curling 


THE    LETTER.  13 

lip,  "that  child  is  growing  up  just  like 
yOU  —  fond  of  worms,  and  bugs,  and  all 
such  disgusting  things/' 

Horace  smiled.  No  matter  for  the  scorn 
in  Grace's  tone ;  it  pleased  him  to  be  com 
pared  in  any  way  with  his  precious  little 
Flyaway. 

"  Topknot  has  a  spark  of  sense,"  said 
he,  leading  her  along  to  the  green-house. 
"Til  bring  her  up  not  to  scream  at  a 
spider." 

"  Now,  young  lady/'  said  he,  setting  the 
cage  on  the  shelf  beside  a  camellia,  and 
speaking  in  a  low  voice,  though  they  were 
quite  alone,  "  can  you  keep  a  secret  ?" 

"  Course  I  can;     What  is  a  secrid?" 

"Why,  it's  something  you  musn't  ever 
tell,  Topknot,  not  to  anybody  that  lives." 

"Then  I  won't,  cerdily,  —  not  to  mamma, 
nor  papa,  nor  Gracie." 


14  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"Nor  anybody  else?" 

"No;  course  not.  .Whobody  else  could 
I?  0,  'cept  Phibby.  There,  now,  what's 
the  name  of  it." 

"  The   name  of  it  is — a   secret,  and  the 

secret  is  this —  Sure  you  won't  tell  any 
single  body,  Topknot?" 

"No;  I  said,  whobody  could  I  tell?  O, 
'cept  Tinka !  There  now !" 

f  Well,  the  secret  is  this,"  said  Horace, 
laying  his  forefingers  together,  and  speak 
ing  very  slowly,  in  order  to  prolong  the 
immense  delight  he  felt  in  watching  the 
little  one's  eager  face.  "  You  know  you've 
got  an  aunt  Madge  ?" 

"  Yes ;  soVe  you,  too." 

"And  she  lives  in  the  city  of  New 
York." 

"  Does  she  ?     When'd  she  go  ?" 

"  Why,  she  has  always  lived  there ;  ever 
since  she  was  married." 


THE    LETTEK.  15 

"0,  yes;  and  uncle  Gustus  was  mar 
ried,  too  ;  they  was  both  married.  Is  that 
all?" 

"And  she  thinks  you  and  I  are  'cute 
chicks,  and  wants  us  to  go  and  see  her." 

"  Well,  course  she  does ;  I  knew  that 
before,"  said  Fly,  turning  away  with  indif 
ference;  "I  did  go  with  mamma." 

"  0,  but  she  means  now,  Topknot;  this 
very  Christmas.  She  said  it  in  a  letter." 

"Does  she  truly?"  said  Fly,  beginning 
to  look  pleased.  "  But  it  can't  be  a  secrid, 
though,"  added  she,  next  moment,  sadly, 
"  'cause  we  can't  go,  Hollis." 

"But  I  really  think  we  shall  go,  Top 
knot  ;  that  is,  if  you  don't  spoil  the  whole 
by  telling." 

"0,  I  cerdily  won't  tell!"  said  Fly, 
fluttering  all  over  with  a  sense  of  impor 
tance,  like  a  kitten  with  its  first  mouse. 


16  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

The  breakfast  bell  rang;  and,  with  many 
a  word  of  warning,  Horace  led  his  little 
sister  into  the  dining-room. 

"Papa,"  said  she,  the  moment  she  was 
established  in  her  high  chair,  "I  know 
sumpin'." 

"  0,  Topknot !"  cried  Horace. 

"I  know  Hollis  has  got  his  elbows  on 
the  table.  There,  now,  did  I  tell  ?" 

«Hu— sh,  Topknot!" 

There  was  a  quiet  moment  while  Mr. 
Clifford  said  grace. 

"Hollis,"  whispered  Katie  immediately 
afterwards,  "  will  I  take  my  mouses  ?" 

"'Sh,  Topknot!" 

"  What's  going  on  there  between  you  and 
Horace  ?"  laughed  Grace. 

"A  secridj'  said  Fly,  nipping  her  little 
lips  together.  "  You  won't  get  me  to  tell." 

"Horace,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Clifford,  "you 
haven't—" 


THE    LETTER.  17 

"  Why,  mother,  I  thought  it  was  all  set 
tled,  and  wouldn't  do  any  harm ;  and  it 
pleases  her  so!" 

"Well,  my  son,  you've  made  a  hard 
day's  work  for  me,"  said  Mrs.  Clifford, 
smiling  behind  her  coffee-cup,  as  eager 
little  Katie  swayed  back  and  forth  in  her 
high  chair. 

"You  won't  get  me  to  tell,  Gracie  Clif 
ford.  She  don't  want  nobody  but  Hollis 
and  me;  she  thinks  we're  very  'cute." 

"Who?     0,  Aunt  Louise,  probably." 

"No,  aunt  Louise  never!  It's  the  auntie 
that  lives  to  New  York." 

"  Sh,  Topknot!" 

"Well,  I  didn't  tell,  Hollis  Clifford!" 

"So  you  didn't,"  said  Grace.  uBut 
wouldn't  it  be  nice  if  somebody  should  ask 
you  to  go  somewhere  to  spend  Christmas?" 

"Well,  there  is /" 
2 


18  LITTLE   POLKS   ASTRAY. 

"0,  Topknot/'  cried  Horace,  in  mock 
distress,  "you  said  you  could  keep  a 
secret." 

Flyaway  looked  frightened. 

"What'd  I  do?"  cried  she;  "I  didn't 
tell  nuffin  'bout  the  letter!" 

This  last  speech  set  everybody  to  laugh 
ing;  and  the  little  tell-tale  looked  around 
from  one  to  another  with  a  face  full  of 
innocent  wonder.  They  couldn't  be  laugh 
ing  at  her! 

"I  can  keep  secrids,"  said  she,  with  dig 
nity.  "It  was  what  I  was  a-doin'." 

"It  is  your  brother  Horace  who  cannot 
be  trusted  to  keep  secrets,"  said  Mrs. 
Clifford,  taking  a  letter  from  her  pocket. 
"Hear,  now,  what  your  Aunt  Madge  has 
written :  *  Will  you  lend  me  your  children 
for  the  holidays,  Maria  ?  I  want  all  three ; 
at  any  rate,  two."; 


THE    LETTER.  19 

"Tha^s  me,"  cried  Flyaway,  tipping  over 
her  white  coffee;  "'tenny  rate  two,'  means 
me." 

"Don't  interrupt  me,  dear.  ' Brother 
Edward  has  promised  me  Prudy  arid  Dotty 
Dimple.  They  may  have  a  Santa  Glaus, 
or  whatever  they  like.  I  shall  devote  my 
self  to  making  them  happy,  and  I  am  sure 
there  are  plenty  of  things  in  New  York  to 
amuse  them.  Horace  must  come  without 
fail;  for  the  little  girl-cousins  always  de 
pend  so  much  upon  him/" 

A  smile  rose  to  Horace's  mouth;  but 
he  rubbed  it  off  with  his  napkin.  It  was 
his  boast  that  he  was  above  being  flattered. 

"  But  why  not  have  Grace  go,  too,  to 
keep  them  steady?"  said  Mr.  Clifford, 
bluntly. 

Horace  applied  himself  to  his  buckwheat 
cakes  in  silence,  and  looked  rather  gloomy. 


20  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTKAY. 

"Why,  I  suppose,  Henry,  it  would 
hardly  be  safe  to  send  Grace,  on  account 
of  her  cough." 

"I'm  so  sorry  you  asked  Dr.  De  Bru- 
ler  a  word  about  it,  mamma;  but  I  sup 
pose  I  must  submit,"  said  Grace,  with  a 
face  as  cloudy  as  Horace's. 

"Horace,  my  son,  do  you  really  feel 
equal  to  the  task  of  taking  this  tuft  of 
feathers  to  New  York?" 

"I  don't  know  why  not,  father;  I'm 
willing  to  try." 

"  Horace  has  good  courage,"  said  Grace, 
shaking  her  auburn  curls  like  so  many  ex 
clamation  points.  "  I  never  could !  I  never 
would !  I'd  as  soon  have  the  care  of  a 
flying  squirrel!" 

"  Hollis  never  called  me  a  squirl"  said 
Fly,  demurely.  "  I've  got  two  brothers, 
and  one  of  'em  is  an  angel,  and  the  other 


THE    LETTER.  21 

isn't;  but  Hollis  is  'most  as  good  as  the  one 
up  in  the  sky/' 

"Well,  my  son,"  remarked  Mr.  Clifford, 
after  a  pause,  "  if  your  mother  gives  her 
consent,  I  suppose  I  shall  give  mine;  but 
it  does  not  look  clear  to  me  yet.  One 
thing  is  certain,  Horace ;  if  you  do  un 
dertake  this  journey,  you  must  live  on 
the  watch:  you  must  sleep  with  both  eyes 
open.  Don't  trust  the  child  out  of  your 
sight — not  for  a  moment.  Don't  even  let 
go  her  hand  on  the  street," 

"I  do  believe  Horace  will  be  as  careful 
as  either  you  or  I,  Henry,  or  I  certainly 
wouldn't  trust  him  with  our  last  little  dar 
ling,"  said  Mrs.  Clifford. 

His  mother's  words  dropped  like  balm 
upon  Horace's  wounded  spirit.  He  looked 
up,  and  felt  himself  a  man  again. 


22  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE   UNDERTAKING. 

WHEN  Flyaway  knew  she  was  going  to 
New  York,  it  was  about  as  easy  to  fit  her 
dresses  as  to  clothe  a  buzzing  blue-bottle 
fly.  With  spinning  head  and  dancing  feet, 
she  was  set  down,  at  last,  in  the  cars. 

"Here  we  are,  all  by  ourselves,  darling, 
starting  off  for  Gotham.  Wave  your  hand 
kerchief  to  mamma.  Don't  you  see  her 
kissing  her  hand?  There,  you  needn't 
spring  out  of  the  window!  And  I  de 
clare,  Brown-brimmer,  if  you  haven't  thrown 
away  your  handkerchief!  Here,  cry  into 
mine !  " 

".I  didn't  want  to  cry,  Hollis;  I  wanted 


fr  THE    UNDERTAKING.  23 

to  laugh,"  said  the  child,  wiping  her  eyes 
with  her  doll's  cloak.  "When  you  ride 
in  carriages,  you  don't  get  anywhere  ;  but 
when  you  ride  in  the  cars,  you  get  there 
right  off." 

"Yes;  that's  so,  my  dear.  You  are  in 
the  right  of  it,  as  you  always  are.  Now  I 
am  going  to  turn  the  seat  over,  and  sit 
where  I  can  look  at  you — -just  so." 

"0,  that's  just  as  splendid,  Hollis ! 
Now  there's  only  me  and  Flipperty.  There, 
I  put  her  'pellent  cloak  on  wrong ;  but  see, 
now,  I've  uu-wrong-side-outed  it!  Don't  she 
sit  up  like  a  lady?" 

Her  name  was  Flipperty  Flop.  She  was 
a  large  jointed  doll  (not  a  doll  with  large 
joints,)  had  seen  a  great  deal  of  the  world, 
and  didn't  think  much  of  it.  She  came  of 
a  high  family,  and  had  such  blue  blood 
in  her  veins,  that  the  ground  wasn't  good 


24  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY.  X 

enough  for  her  to  walk  on.  She  wore  a 
"  'pellent  cloak"  and  rubber  boots,  and  had 
a  shopping-bag  on  her  arm  full  of  "  choclid  " 
cakes.  She  was  nearly  as  large  as  her 
mother,  and  all  of  two  years  older.  A 
great  deal  had  happened  to  her  before  her 
mother  was  born,  and  a  great  deal  more 
since.  Sometimes  it  was  dropsy,  and  she 
had  to  be  tapped,  when  pints  of  sawdust 
would  run  out.  Sometimes  it  was  con 
sumption,  and  she  wasted  to  such  a  skel 
eton  that  she  had  to  be  revived  with  cot 
ton.  She  had  lost  her  head  more  than 
once,  but  it  never  'affected  her  brains : 
she  was  all  the  better  with  a  young  head 
now  and  then  on  her  old  shoulders.  Her 
present  ailment  appeared  to  be  small-pox; 
she  was  badly  pitted  with  pins  and  a  pen 
knife. 

"I  declare  I  forgot  to  get  a  ticket  for 


THE    UNDERTAKING.  25 

her,"  said  Horace.  "What  if  the  conduct 
or  shouldn't  let  her  pass  ?  " 

"0,  Hollis,  but  he  must?"  cried  Fly, 
springing  to  her  feet;  "  1  shan't  pass  athout 
my  Flipperty!  Tell  the  'ductor  'bout  my 
white  mouses  died,  and  I  can't  go  athout 
sumpin  to  carry." 

"Pshaw!  Dotty  Dimple  don't  carry  dolls. 
She  don't  like  'em:  sensible  girls  never 
do." 

"Well,  I  like  'em,"  said  Flyaway,  noth 
ing  daunted.  "You  knew  it  byfore;  'n  if 
you  didn't  want  Flipperty,  you'd  ought  to 
not  come ! " 

Horace  laughed,  as  he  always  did  when 
his  little  sister  tried  her  power  over  him. 
The  conductor  was  an  old  acquaintance, 
and  he  told  him  how  it  stood  with  Flip 
perty,  how  she  was  needed  at  IsTew  York, 
and  all  that;  whereupon  Mr.  Van  Dusen 


26  LITTLE    FOLKS    ASTRAY. 

gave  Fly  a  little  green  card,  and  told  her 
to  keep  it  to  show  to  all  the  conductors 
on  the  road;  for  it  was  a  free  pass,  and 
would  take  Flipperty  all  over  the  United 
States. 

"Yes,  sir,  if  you  please,"  said  Fly,  with 
a  blush  and  a  smile,  and  put  the  "free 
pass"  in  Miss  Flop's  cloak  pocket. 

After  this,  she  never  once  failed  to  show 
it,  whenever  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  or  any  other 
conductor,  came  near,  but  always  had  to 
hunt  for  it,  and  once  brought  up  a  cookie 
instead,  which  fearful  mistake  mortified  her 
to  the  depths  of  her  soul. 

Horace  was  sure  all  eyes  were  fixed  on 
his  charming  little  charge,  and  was  proud 
of  the  honor  of  showing  her  off;  but  he 
paid  for  it  dearly;  it  cost  him  more  than 
his  Latin,  with  all  the  irregular  verbs. 
There  was  no  such  thing  as  her  being 


THE    UNDERTAKING.  27 

4 

comfortable.  She  was  full  of  care  about 
him,  herself,  and  the  baggage.  Flipperty 
lost  off  a  rubber  boot,  which  bounced  over 
into  the  next  seat.  Horace  had  to  ask  a 
gentleman  and  his  sick  daughter  to  move, 
and,  after  all,  it  was  in  an  old  lady's  lap. 

Then  Fly's  feet  were  cold,  and  Horace 
took  her  to  the  stove;  but  that  made  her 
eyes  too  hot,  and  she  danced,  back,  to  lie* 
with  her  head  on  his  breast  and  her  feet 
against  the  window,  till  she  suddenly 
whirled  straight  about,  and  planted  her 
tiny  boots  under  his  chin. 

"0,  Topknot,  Topknot,  I  pity  that 
woman  with  the  baby,  if  she  feels  as  lame 
all  over  as  I  do !  " 

"  Where's  the  baby,  Hollis  ?     O,  I  see. " 

"What's  the  matter,  now?  Why  upon 
earth  can't  you  sit  still,  child?''  said  Hor 
ace,  next  minute,  catching  her  as  she  was 


28  LITTLE    FOLKS    ASTRAY. 

^ 

darting  into  the  aisle,  dragging  Miss  Flop 
by  the  hair  of  the  head. 

"  0,  Hollis,  don't  y$u  see  there's  a  dolly 
over  there,  with  two  girls  and  a  lady  with 
red  clo'es  on?  'Haps  they'd  be  willing  for 
her  to  get  'quainted  with  Flipperty?" 

"Well,  Topknot,  'haps  they  would,  but 
'haps  I  wouldn't.  I  can't  have  you  dan 
cing  all  over  the  car,  in  this  style." 

Flyaways's  lip  quivered,  and  a  tear  start 
ed.  Horace  was  moved.  One  of  Fly's 
tears  weighed  a  pound  with  him,  even 
when  it  only  wet  her  eyelashes,  and  wasn't 
heavy  enough  to  drop. 

"Well,  there,  darling,  you  just  sit  still, 
— not  still  enough,  though,  to  give  you  a 
pain  (Fly  always  said  it  gave  her  a  pain 
to  sit  still), — and  I'll  bring  the  girls  and 
dollie  over  here  to  you.  Will  that  do?" 
Fly  thought  it  would. 


THE    UNDERTAKING.  29 

A  dreadful  fit  of  bashfulness  came  over 
Horace,  when  he  stood  face  to  face  with 
the  black-eyed  lady  and  her  daughters, 
and  tried  to  speak. 

"I've  got  a  little  girl  travelling  with  me, 
ma'am;  she's  so — so  uneasy,  that  I  don't 
know  what  to  do  with  her.  Will  you  let 
me  take — I  mean,  are  you  willing  — " 

"Bring  her  over  here,  and  we  will  try 
to  amuse  her,"  said  the  black-eyed  lady, 
pleasantly ;  but  Horace  was  sure  he  saw 
the  oldest  girl  laughing  at  him. 

"It's  no  fun  to  go  and  make  a  fool  of 
yourself,"  thought  he,  leading  Fly  to  the 
new  acquaintances,  and  standing  by  as  she 
settled  herself  shyly  in  the  seat. 

"How  do  you  do,  little  one?  What  is 
your  name?  —  Flyaway? — Well,  you  look 
like  it.  We  saw  you  were  a  darling,  clear 
across  the  aisle.  And  you  have  a  kind 
brother,  I  know." 


30 


LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 


At  these  words  Fly,  for  want  of  some 
answer  to  make,  sprang  forward  and  kissed 
Horace  on  the  bridge  of  the  nose. 
"There,  you've  knocked  off  my  cap." 
In  stooping  to  pick  it  up,  he  awkwardly 
hit  his   head    against   the   older  girl,  who 
already  looked  so  mischievous  that  he  was 
rather  afraid  of  her. 

"Wish    I    could    get    out   of   the  way. 
She  expects  me  to  speak,  but  I  shan't. 

"  'Needles  and  pins,  needles  and  pins, 
When  a  man  travels  his  trouble  begins.'  " 

Horace  was  obliged  to  stand,  very  ill  at 
ease,  tiK  the  black-eyed  lady  had  found 
out  where  he  lived,  who  his  father  was, 
and  what  was  his  mother's  name  before  she 
was  married. 

"Tell  your  father,  when  you  go  home, 
you  have  seen  Mrs.  Bonnycastle,  formerly 


THE    UNDERTAKING.  31 

Ann  Jones,  and  give  him  ray  regards.  I 
knew  he  married  a  lady  from  Maine." 

"  I  know  sumpin,"  struck  in  Fly ;  "  if 
ever  /  marry  anybody,  I'll  marry  my  own 
brother  Hollis.  I  mean  if  I  don't  be  a 
ole  maid!" 

"And  what  is  <a  ole  maid/  you  little 
witch?" 

"I  don'  know;  some  folks  is/'  was  the 
wise  reply.  Flyaway  was  about  to  add 
"  Gampa  Clifford/'  but  did  not  feel  well 
enough  acquainted  to  talk  of  family  matters. 

When  the  Bonnycastles  left,  at  Cleve 
land,  Horace  thought  that  was  the  last  of 
them.  Miss  Gerty  was  "  decent-looking, 
looked  some  like  Gassy  Hallock;  but  he 
couldn't  bear  to  see  folks  giggle ;  hoped 
he  never  should  set  eyes  on  those  people 
again."  Whether  he  ever  did,  you  shall 
hear  one  of  these  days. 


32  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"  0,  Topknot,"  said  he,  "your  hair  looks 
like  a  mop.  Do  you  want  all  creation 
laughing  at  you?  You'll  mortify  me  to 
death." 

"  You  ought  to  water  it.  If  you  don't 
take  better  care  o'  your  little  sister,  I 
won't  never  ride  with  you  no  more,  Hollis 
Clifford  !" 

"  Well,  see  that  you  don't,  you  little 
scarecrow,"  said  the  suffering  boy,  out  of 
all  patience.  "  If  you  are  going  to  act  in 
New  York  as  you  have  on  the  road,  I 
wish  I  was  well  out  of  this  scrape," 

Flyaway  was  really  a  sight  to  behold. 
How  she  managed  to  tear  her  dress  off  the 
waist,  and  loose  five  boot  buttons,  and  last, 
but  not  least,  the  very  hat  she  wore  on  her 
head,  would  have  been  a  mystery  if  you 
hadn't  seen  her  run. 

"When  they  reached  the  city,  Horace  put 


THE   UNDERTAKING.  33 

the  soft,  flying  locks  in  as  good  order  as 
he  could,  and  tied  them  up  in  his  hand 
kerchief. 

"I  wisht  I  hadn't  come,'  whined  Fly; 
"  I  don't  want  to  wear  a  hangerfiss ;  'tisn't 
speckerble  !" 

"Hush  right  up  !  I'm  not  going  to  have 
you  get  cold! — My  sorrows!  Shan't  I  be 
thankful  when  I  get  where  there's  a  woman 
to  take  care  of  her  ?" 

On  the  platform  at  the  depot,  aunt 
Madge,  Prudy,  and  Dotty  Dimple,  were 
waiting  for  them.  A  hearty  laugh  went 
the  rounds,  which  Fly  thought  was  decid 
edly  silly.  Aunt  Madge  took  the  young 
travellers  right  into  her  arms,  and  hugged 
them  in  her  own  cordial  style,  as  if  her 
heart  had  been  hungry  for  them  for  many 
a  day. 

"We're  so  glad! — for  it  did  seem  as 
3 


34  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

if  you'd  never  come/'  exclaimed  Dotty 
Dimple. 

"And  I'd  like  to  know,"  said  Horace, 
"  how  you  happened  to  get  here  first." 

"  O,  we  came  by  express  —  came  yes 
terday." 

"By  'spress?"  cried  Flyaway,  pulling 
away  from  aunt  Madge,  who  was  trying  to 
pin  her  frock  together ;  "  we  came  by  a 
'ductor.— Why,  where's  Flipperty's  ticket?" 

Horace  seized  Prudy  with  one  hand, 
and  Dotty  Dimple  with  the  other,  turning 
them  round  and  round. 

"I  don't  see  anything  of  the  express 
mark,  <  Handle  with  care.'  "What  has  be 
come  of  it  ?" 

"0,  we  were  done  up  in  brown  paper," 
said  Prudy,  laughing,  "and  the  express 
mark  was  on  that ;  but  aunt  Madge  took 
it  off  as  soon  as  she  got  the  packages 
home." 


THE    UNDERTAKING.  35 

"  Why,  what  a  story,  Prudy  Parlin  !  "We 
didn't  have  a  speck  of  brown  paper  round 
us.  Just  cloaks  and  hats  with  feathers  in  I" 

Dotty  spoke  with  some  irritation.  She 
had  all  along  been  rather  sensitive  about 
being  sent  by  express,  and  could  not  bear 
any  allusion  to  the  subject. 

"  There,  that's  Miss  Dimple  herself.  Let 
me  shake  hands  with  your  Dimpleship ! 
Didn't  come  to  New  York  to  take  a  joke, 
—  did  you '/" 

"No,  her  Dimpleship  came  to  New  York 
to  get  warm,"  said  Peacemaker  Prudy; 
"  and  so  did  I,  too.  You  don't  know  how 
cold  it  is  in  Maine." 

By  this  time  they  were  rattling  over  the 
stones  in  their  aunt's  elegant  carriage.  It 
^as  dusk  ;  the  lamps  were  lighted,  the 
streets  crowded  with  people,  the  shops 
Mazing  with  gay  colors. 


36  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"  I  didn't  come  here  to  get  warm,  either," 
said  Dotty,  determined  to  have  the  last 
word :  u  I  was  warm  enough  in  Portland. 
I  s'pose  we've  got  a  furnace,  —  haven't  we? 
—  and  a  coal  grate,  too." 

a  I  do  hope  Horace  hasnt't  got  her  start 
ed  in  a  contrary  fit,"  thought  Prudy;  "I 
brought  her  all  the  way  from  home  with 
out  her  saying  a  cross  word." 

But  aunt  Madge  had  a  witch's  broom, 
to  sweep  cobwebs  out  of  the  sky.  Putting 
her  arm  around  Dotty,  she  said, — 

"You  all  came  to  bring  sunshine  into 
my  house ;  bless  your  happy  hearts." 

That  cleared  Dotty's  sky,  and  she  put 
up  her  lips  for  a  kiss ;  while  Flyaway,  with 
her  "  hangerfiss  "  on,  danced  about  the  car 
riage  like  a  fly  in  a  bottle,  kissing  every 
body,  and  Horace  twice  over. 

"  'Cause  I   spect  we've  got  there.    But, 


THE    UNDERTAKING.  37 

Hollis/'  said  she,  with  the  comical  shade 
of  care  which  so  often  flitted  across  her 
little  face,  "you  never  pat  the  trunk  in 
here.  Now  that  'ductor  has  gone  and  car 
ried  off  my  nightie." 


38  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE   FROLIC. 

IF  Aunt  Madge  had  dressed  in  linsey 
woolsey,  with  a  checked  apron  on,  she 
would  still  have  been  lovely.  A  white 
rose  is  lovely  even  in  a  cracked  tea-cup. 
But  Colonel  Augustus  Allen  was  a  rich 
man,  and  his  wife  could  afford  to  dress 
elegantly.  Horace  followed  her  to-night 
with  admiring  eyes. 

"  They  say  she  isn't  as  handsome  as  Aunt 
Louise,  but  I  know  better;  you  needn't 
tell  me !  Her  eyes  have  got  the  real  good 
twinkle,  and  that's  enough  said." 

Horace  wTas  like  most  boys ;  he  mistook 
loveliness  for  beauty.  Mrs.  Allen's  small 


THE   FROLIC.  39 

figure,  gentle  gray  eyes,  and  fair  curls 
made  her  seem  almost  insignificant  beside 
the  splendid  Louise;  but  Horace  knew  bet 
ter  ;  you  needn't  tell  him ! 

"  Horace,"  said  Aunt  Madge,  "  your  Uncle 
Augustus  is  gone,  and  that  is  one  reason, 
you  know,  why  I  begged  for  company 
during  the  holidays.  You  will  be  the  only 
gentleman  in  the  house,  and  we  ladies  here 
with  put  ourselves  under  your  protection. 
Will  you  accept  the  charge  ? " 

"  He  needn't  pertect  ME,"  spoke  up  Miss 
Dimple,  from  the  depths  of  an  easy-chair; 
"I  can  pertect  myself." 

"  Don't  mind  going  to  the  Museum  alone, 
I  suppose,  and  crossing  ferries,  and  riding 
in  the  Park,  and  being  out  after  dark  ?  " 

"  No ;  I'm  not  afraid  of  things,"  replied 
the  strong-minded  young  lady ;  "  ask  Pru- 
dy  if  I  am.  And  my  father  lets  me  go 


40  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

in  the  horse-cars  all  over  Portland.  That's 
since  I  travelled  out  west." 

Here  the  bell  sounded,  and  the  only 
gentleman  of  the  house  gave  his  arm  to 
Mrs.  Allen,  to  lead  her  out  to  what  he 
supposed  was  supper,  though  he  soon  found 
it  went  by  the  name  of  dinner.  Neither 
he  nor  his  young  cousins  were  accustomed 
to  seeing  so  much  silver  and  so  many 
servants;  but  they  tried  to  appear  as  un 
concerned  as  if  it  were  an  every-day  affair. 
Dotty  afterwards  said  to  Prudy  and  Hor 
ace,  "I  was  'stonished  when  that  man  came 
to  the  back  of  my  chair  with  the  butter; 
but  I  said,  'If  you  please,  sir,' just  as  if  1 
'spected  it.  He  don't  know  but  my  father's 
rich." 

After  dinner  Fly's  eyes  drew  together, 
and  Prudy  said, — 

"  0,    darling,    you   don't    know    what's 


THE   FROLIC.  41 

going  to  happen.  Auntie  said  you  might 
sleep  with  Dotty  and  me  to-night,  right  in 
the  middle." 

"  0,  dear  !  "  drawled  Flyaway ;  "  when 
there's  two  abed,  I  sleep;  but  when  there's 
three  abed,  I  open  out  my  eyes,  and 
can't." 

4  So  you  don't  like  to  sleep  with  your 
cousins,"  said  Dotty,  ayour  dear  cousins, 
that  came  all  the  way  from  Portland  to 
Bee  you." 

"Yes,  I  do,"  said  Fly,  quickly;  "my 
eyes'll  open  out;  but  that's  no  matter, 
'cause  I  don't  want  to  go  to  sleep ;  I'd 
rawer  not." 

They  went  up  stairs,  into  a  beautiful 
room,  which  aunt  Madge  had  arranged  for 
them  with  two  beds,  to  suit  a  whim  of 
Dotty's. 

"  Now  isn't  this  just  splendid  ? "  said  Miss 


42  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

Dimple ;  "  the  carpet  so  soft  your  boots 
go  in  like  feathers;  and  then  such  pic 
tures  !  Look,  Fly !  here  are  two  little 
girls  out  in  a  snow-storm,  with  an  um 
brella  over  'em.  Aren't  you  glad  it  isn't 
you?  And  here  are  some  squirrels,  just 
as  natural  as  if  they  were  eating  grand 
pa's  oilnuts.  And  see  that  pretty  lady 
with  the  kid,  or  the  dog.  Any  way  she 
is  kissing  him ;  and  it  was  all  she  had  left 
out  of  the  whole  family,  and  she  wanted  to 
kiss  somebody." 

"  Yes,"  said  aunt  Madge. 

" '  Her  sole  companion  in  a  dearth 
Of  love  upon  a  hopeless  earth.' 

"If  that  makes  you  look  so  sober,  chil 
dren,  I'm  going  to  take  it  down.  Here, 
on  this  bracket,  is  the  head  of  our  blessed 
Saviour." 


THE   FROLIC.  43 

"  0,  I'm  glad,"  said  Fly.  "  He'll  be  right 
there,  a-looking  on,  when  we  say  our 
prayers." 

"  Hear  that  creature  talk !  "  whispered 
Dotty. 

"And  these  things  a-shinin'  down  over 
the  bed :  who's  these  ?"  said  Flyaway,  dan 
cing  about  the  room,  with  "opened-out" 
eyes. 

"  Don't  you  know  ?  That's  Christ  bless 
ing  little  children,"  said  Dotty,  gently. 
"I  always  know  Him  by  the  rainbow  round 
His  head." 

"Aureole,"  corrected  Aunt  Madge. 

"But  wasn't  it  just  like  a  rainbow — red, 
blue  and  green  ?  " 

"  0,  no ;  our  Saviour  did  not  really  have 
any  such  crown  of  light,  Dotty.  He  looked 
just  like  other  men,  only  purer  and  holier. 
Artists  have  tried  in  vain  to  make  his 


44  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

expression  heavenly  enough ;  so  they  paint 
him  with  an  aureole." 

Prudy  said  nothing;  but  as  she  looked 
at  the  picture,  a  happy  feeling  came  over 
her.  She  remembered  how  Christ  "  called 
little  children  like  lambs  to  his  fold,"  and 
it  seemed  as  if  He  was  very  near  to-night, 
and  the  room  was  full  of  peace.  Aunt 
Madge  had  done  well  to  place  such  paint 
ings  before  her  young  guests ;  good  pictures 
bring  good  thoughts. 

"All,  everywhere,  it's  so  spl-endid  !  "  said 
Fly;  " what's  that  thing  with  a  glass  house 
over  it !  " 

"A  clock." 

"What  a  funny  clock!  It  looks  like  a 
little  dog  wagging  its  tail." 

"  That's  the  penderlum,"  explained  Dot 
ty;  "it  beats  the  time.  Every  clock  has  a 
penderlum.  Generally  hangs  down  before 


THE  FROLIC.  45 

though,  and  this  hangs  behind.  I  declare, 
Prudy,  it  does  look  like  a  dog  wagging 
its  tail." 

"  Hark !  it  strikes  eight,"  said  Aunt 
Madge.  "Time  little  girls  were  in  bed, 
getting  rested  for  a  happy  day  to-morrow." 

"  I  don't  spect  that  thing  knows  what  time 
it  is,"  said  Fly,  gazing  at  the  clock  doubt 
fully,  "  and  my  eyes  are  all  opened  out ; 
but  if  you  want  me  to,  auntie,  I  will ! " 

So  Flyaway  slipped  off  her  clothes  in  a 
twinkling. 

"  We're  going  to  lie,  all  three,  in  this  big 
bed,  Fly,  just  for  one  night,"  said  Dotty; 
"  and  after  that  we  must  take  turns  which 
shall  sleep  with  you.  There,  child,  you're 
all  undressed,  and  I  haven't  got  my  boots 
off  yet.  You're  quicker'n  a  chain  o'  light 
ning,  and  always  was." 

"Why,  how  did  that  kitty  get  in  here  ?" 


46  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

said  auntie,  as  a  loud  mewing  was  heard. 
"I  certainly  shut  her  out  before  we  came 
up  stairs." 

Dotty  ran  round  the  room,  with  one  boot 
on,  and  Prudy  in  her *  stockings,  helping 
their  aunt  in  the  search.  The  kitten  was 
not  under  the  bed,  or  in  either  of  the 
closets,  or  inside  the  curtains. 

"Look  ahind  the  pendlum"  said  Fly, 
laughing  and  skipping  about  in  high  glee ; 
"look  ahind  the  pendlum;  look  atween 
the  pillow-case.'' 

Still  the  mewing  went  on. 

"0,  here  is  the  kitty — I've  found  her/' 
said  auntie,  suddenly  seizing  Fly  by  the 
shoulders,  and  stopping  her  mocking-bird 
mouth.  "  Poor  pussy,  she  has  turned  white 
— white  all  over  ! " 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  was  Fly 
Clifford?"  cried  Prudy. 


THE   FROLIC.  47 

"Shut  her  up,  auntie/'  said  Dotty  Dim 
ple;  "she's  a  kitty.  I  always  knew  her 
name  was  Kitty/' 

Fly  ran  and  courtesied  before  the  mirror 
in  her  nightie. 

"0,  Kitty  Clifford,  Kitty  Clifford,"  she 
cried,  "  when'll  you  be  a  cat  ?" 

"  Pretty  soon,  if  you  can  catch  mice  as 
well  as  you  can  mew,"  laughed  auntie; 
"but  look  you,  my  dear;  are  you  going 
to  bed  to-night  ?  or  shall  I  shut  you  down 
cellar?" 

"Don't  shut  me  down  cellow,  auntie/' 
cried  the  mocking-bird,  crowing  like  a 
chicken ;  "  shut  me  in  the  barn  with  the 
banties." 

Next  moment  it  occurred  to  the  child 
that  this  style  of  behavior  was  not  very 
"  speckerful ; "  so  she  hastily  dropped  on 
her  knees  before  her  auntie,  and  began 


48  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

to  say  her  prayers.  The  change  was  so 
sudden,  from  the  shrill  crow  of  a  chicken 
to  the  gentle  voice  of  a  little  girl  praying, 
that  no  one  could  keep  a  sober  face. 
Prudy  ran  into  the  closet,  and  Dotty 
laughed  into  her  handkerchief. 

"  There,  now,  that's  done,"  said  Flya 
way,  jumping  up  as  suddenly  as  she  had 
knelt  down.  "Now  I  must  pray  Flip- 
perty." 

And  before  any  one  could  think  what  the 
child  meant  to  do,  she  had  dragged  out 
her  dolly,  and  knelt  it  on  the  rug,  face 
downward,  over  her  own  lap. 

c<  C  the  wicked  creature !  "  whispered 
Dotty.  But  Aunt  Madge  said  nothing. 

"Pray/'  said  the  little  one,  in  a  tone  of 
command.  Then,  in  a  fine,  squeaking 
voice,  Fly  repeated  a  prayer.  It  was  in 
tended  to  be  Flipperty's  voice,  and  Flip- 
perty  was  too  young  to  talk  plain. 


THE   FKOLIC.  49 

"There,  that  will  do,"  said  Aunt  Madge, 
her  large  gray  eyes  trying  not  to  twinkle ; 
"did  she  ever  say  her  prayers  before?" 

"Yes,  um;  she's  a  goody  girl — when  I 
'member  to  pray  her !" 

"  Well,  dear,  I  wouldn't  <  pray  her'  any 
more.  It  makes  us  laugh  to  see  such  a 
droll  sight,  and  nobody  wishes  to  laugh 
when  you  are  talking  to  your  Father  in 
heaven." 

"No'm,"  replied  Flyaway,  winking  her 
eyes  solemnly. 

But  when  the  "three  abed"  had  been 
tucked  in  and  kissed,  Fly  called  her  auntie 
back  to  ask,  "How  can  Flipperty  grc^ttp 
a  goody  girl  athout  she  says  her  prayeio  ?" 

There  was   such   a  mixture  of  play  and 
earnestness  in  the  child's  eyes,  that  auntie 
had  to  turn  away  her  face  before  she  could 
answer  seriously. 
4 


50 


LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 


"Why,  little  girls  can  think  and  feel 
you  know;  but  with  dollies  it  is  differ 
ent.  Now,  good  night,  pet;  you  won't 
have  beautiful  dreams,  if  you  talk  any 


TAKING   OUR   AIRS.  51 


CHAPTER    IV. 

"TAKING  OUR  AIRS/' 

FLYAWAY  awoke  singing,  and  sprang  up 
in  bed,  saying, — 

"Why,.  I  thought  I's  a  car,  and  that's 
why  I  whissiled." 

"But  you  are  not  a  car,"  yawned  Prudy ; 
*  please  don't  sing  again,  or  dance,  either." 

"  It's  the  happerness  in  me,  Prudy ;  and 
that's  what  dances;  it's  the  happerness." 

"  That's  the  worst  part  of  Fly  Clifford," 
groaned  Dotty ;  "  she  won't  keep  still  in 
the  morning.  Might  have  known  there 
wouldn't  be  any  peace  after  she  got  here." 

Dotty  always  came  out  of  sleep  by  slow 
stages,  and  her  affections  were  the  last 


52  LITTLE   FOLKS    ASTRAY. 

part  of  her  to  wake  up.     Just  now  she  did 

not  love  Katie   Clifford   one  bit,  nor   her 

own  mother  either. 

"  Won't    you    light    the    lamp?"    piped 

Flyaway. 

"  Please  don't,  Fly,"  said  Prudy ;  «  don't 

talk !" 

"Won't  you  light  the  la-amp?" 
"No,  we  will  not,"  said  Dotty,  firmly. 
"  Won't  you  light  the  la-amp  ?" 
"  Is   this   what   we   came   to  New  York 

for  ?"  moaned  Dotty  ;  "  to  be  waked  up  in 

the  middle  of  the  night  by  folks  singing  ?" 
"Won't  you  light  the  la-amp?" 
"I'll    pack    my    dresses,   and    go    right 

home!     I'll  — I'll  have  Fly  Clifford  sleep 

out  o'  this  room.     Why,  I  —  I  — " 
u  Won't  you  light  the  la-amp  ?" 
Prudy  sprang  out  of  bed,  convulsed  with 

laughter,  and  lighted  the  gas;  whereupon 


TAKING   OUR   AIRS.  53 

Fly  began  to  dance  " Little  Zephyrs/3  on 
the  pillow,  and  Dotty  to  declare  her  eyes 
were  put  out. 

"  Little  try -patiences,  both  of  them/' 
thought  Prudy;  "but  then  they've  always 
had  their  own  way,  and  what  can  you  ex 
pect  ?  I'm  so  glad  I  wasn't  born  the  young 
est  of  the  family;  it  does  make  children 
50  disagreeable!" 

As  soon  as  Dotty  was  fairly  awake,  her 
love  for  her  friends  came  back  again,  and 
her  good  humor  with  it.  She  made  Fly 
bleat  like  a  lamb  and  spin  like  a  top,  and 
applauded  her  loudly. 

"It's  gl-orious  to  have  you  here,  Fly 
Clifford.  I  wouldn't  let  you  go  in  any 
other  room  to  sleep  for  anything." 

Which  shows  that  the  same  thing  looked 
very  different  to  Dotty  after  she  got  her 
eyes  open. 


54  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

When  the  children  went  down  to  break 
fast,  they  found  bouquets  of  flowers  by 
their  plates. 

"I  am  delighted  to  see  such  happy  faces." 
said  Aunt  Madge.  "How  would  you  all 
like  to  go  out  by  and  by,  and  take  the 
air?" 

"We'd  like  it,  auntie;  and  I'll  tell  you 
what  would  be  prime,"  remarked  Horace, 
from  his  uncle's  place  at  the  head  of  the 
table;  "and  that  is,  to  take  Fly  to  Stew 
art's,  and  have  her  go  up  in  an  elevator." 

"Why  couldn't  I  go  up,  too?"  asked 
Dotty,  with  the  slightest  possible  shade  of 
discontent  in  her  voice.  She  did  not  mean 
to  be  jealous,  but  she  had  noticed  that 
Flyaway  always  came  first  with  Horace, 
and  if  there  was  anything  hard  for  Dotty's 
patience,  it  was  playing  the  part  of  Num 
ber  Two. 


TAKING   OUR  AIRS.  55 

"We'll  all  go  up,"  said  Aunt  Madge. 
"I've  an  idea  of  taking  you  over  to  Brook 
lyn;  and  in  that  case  we  shan't  come  home 
before  night." 

"Carry  our  dinner  in  a  basket?"  sug 
gested  Dotty. 

"0,  no;  we'll  go  into  a  restaurant,  some 
where,  and  order  whatever  you  like." 

"Will  you,  auntie?  Well,  there,  I  never 
went  to  such  a  place  in  my  life,  only  once ; 
and  then  Percy  Eastman,  he  just  cried 
'Fire!'  and  I  broke  the  saucer  all  to 
pieces." 

"I've  been  to  it  a  great  many  times," 
said  Fly,  catching  part  of  Dotty's  mean 
ing;  "my  mamma  bakes  'em  in  a  freezer." 

At  nine  o'clock  the  party  of  five  started 
out  to  see  New  York.  Aunt  Madge  and 
Horace  walked  first,  with  Flyaway  between 
them.  "We  are  going  out  to  take  our 
airs,"  said  the  little  one. 


56  -LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"I  don't  think  you  need  any  more," 
said  Horace,  looking  fondly  at  his  pretty 
sister.  "  You're  so  airy  now,  it's  as  much 
as  we  can  do  to  keep  your  feet  on  the 
ground." 

Flyaway  wore  a  blue  silk  bonnet,  with 
white  lace  around  the  face,  a  blue  dress 
and  cloak,  and  pretty  furs  with  a  squirrel's 
head  on  the  muff.  She  had  never  been 
dressed  so  well  before,  and  she  knew  it. 
She  remembered  hearing  "Phibby"  say  to 
"Tinka,"  "Don't  that  child  look  .like  an 
angel?"  Fly  was  sure  she  did,  for  big 
folks  like  Tinka  must  know.  But  here  her 
thoughts  grew  misty.  All  the  angels  she 
had  ever  heard  of  were  brother  Harry  and 
"the  Charlie  boy."  How  could  she  look 
like  them? 

"Does  God  dress  'em  in  a  cloak  and 
bonnet,  you  s'pose?"  asked  she  of  her  own 
thoughts. 


TAKING   OUR   AIRS.  57 

Prudy  and  Dotty  Dimple  wore  frocks  of 
black  and  red  plaid,  white  cloaks,  and  black 
hats  with  scarlet  feathers.  Horace  was  sat 
isfied  that  a  finer  group  of  children  could 
not  be  found  in  the  city. 

"Aunt  Madge  and  I  have  no  reason  to 
be  ashamed  of  them,  I  am  sure,"  thought 
he,  taking  out  his  new  watch  every  few 
minutes,  not  because  he  wished  to  show 
it,  but  for  fear  it  was  losing  time. 

"How  I  wish  we  had  Grace  and  Susey 
here !  and  then  I  should  have  all  my 
nieces,"  said  Aunt  Madge.  "Is  it  possi 
ble  these  are  the  same  children  I  used  to 
see  at  Willowbrook?  Here  is  my  only 
nephew,  that  drowned  Prudy  on  a  log, 
grown  tall  enough  to  offer  me  his  arm. 
(Why,  Horace,  your  head  is  higher  than 
mine !)  Here  is  Prudy,  who  tried  yester 
day —  didn't  she? — to  go  up  to  heaven  on 


58  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

a  ladder,  almost  a  young  lady.     Why,  how 
old  it  makes  me  feel!" 

"But  you  don't  look  old,"  said  Dotty, 
consolingly  ;  "  you  don't  look  married  any 

more  than  Aunt  Louise  ?" 
P 

Here  they  took  an  omnibus,  and  the 
children  interested  themselves  in  watching 
the  different  people  who  sat  near  them. 

"  Aren't  you  glad  to  come  ?"  said  Dotty. 
"  See  that  man  getting  out.  What  is  that 
little  thing  he's  switching  himself  with?" 

"  That's  a  cane,"  replied  Horace. 

"  A  cane  ?  Why,  if  Flyaway  should  lean 
on  it,  she'd  break  it  in  two. — Prudy,  look 
at  that  man  in  the  corner ;  his  cane  is  fun 
nier  than  the  other  one." 

Horace  laughed. 

"  That  is  a  pipe,  Dotty — a  meerschaum." 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  much  difference,"  said 
Miss  Dimple;  "New  York  is  the  queerest 


TAKING   OUR   AIRS.  59 

place.     Such   long  pipes,   and    such   short 
canes !" 

Fly  was  too  happy  to  talk,  and  sat  look 
ing  out  of  the  window  until  an  elegantly- 
dressed  lady  entered  the  stage,  who  at 
tracted  everybody's  attention  ;  and  then 
Flyaway  started  up,  and  stood  on  her 
tiptoes.  The  lady's  face  was  painted  so 
brightly  that  even  a  child  could  not  help 
noticing  it.  It  was  haggard  and  wrinkled, 
all  but  the  cheeks,  and  those  bloomed  out 
like  a  red,  red  rose.  Flyaway  had  never 
seen  such  a  sight  before,  and  thought  if 
the  lady  only  knew  how  she  looked,  she 
would  go  right  home  and  wash  her  face. 

"What  a  chee-arming  little  girl!"  said 
the  painted  woman,  crowding  hi  between 
Aunt  Madge  and  Flyaway,  and  patting  the 
child's  shoulder  with  her  ungloved  hand, 
which  was  fairly  ablaze  with  jewels;  "bee- 
youtiful !" 


60  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

Flyaway  turned  quickly  around  to  Aunt 
Madge,  and  said,  in  one  of  her  very  loud 
whispers,  "What's  the  matter  with  her? 
She's  got  sumpin  on  her  face." 

"  Hush,"  whispered  Aunt  Madge,  pinch 
ing  the  child's  hand. 

"  But  there  is,"  spoke  up  Flyaway,  very 
loud  in  her  earnestness  ;  "  0,  there  is  sum- 
pin  on  her  face  —  sumpin  red." 

There  was  "  sumpin  "  now  on  all  the  other 
faces  in  the  omnibus,  and  it  was  a  smile. 
The  lady  must  have  blushed  away  down 
under  the  paint.  She  looked  at  her  jew 
elled  fingers,  tossed  her  head  proudly,  and 
very  soon  left  the  stage. 

" Topknot,  how  could  you  be  so  rude?" 
said  Horace,  severely;  "little  girls  should 
be  seen,  and  not  heard. 

44  But  she  speaked  to  me  first/"  said  Fly- 


TAKING   OUR   AIRS.  61 

away.  "  I  wasn't  goin'  to  say  nufnn,  and 
then  she  speaked." 

A  young  gentleman  and  lady  opposite 
seemed  very  much  amused. 

"I'm  afraid  of  your  bright  eyes,  little 
dear.  I'll  give  you  some  candy  if  you 
won't  tell  me  how  I  look,"  said  the  young 
lady,  showering  sweetmeats  into  Flya- 
way's  lap. 

"  Why,  I  wrasn't  goin'  to  tell  her  how 
she  looked,"  whispered  Fly,  very  much 
surprised,  and  trying  to  nestle  out  of  sight 
behind  Horace's  shoulder. 

"When  they  left  the  omnibus,  the  children 
had  a  discussion  about  the  painted  lady,  and 
could  not  decide  whether  they  were  glad  or 
sorry  that  Fly  had  spoken  out  so  plainly. 

"  Good  enough  for  her,"  said  Dotty. 

"  But  it  was  such  a  pity  to  hurt  her  feel- 
'  ings!"  said  Prudy. 


62  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"Who  hurted'em?"  asked  Fly,  looking 
rather  sheepish. 

"  Poh !  her  feelings  can't  be  worth  much," 
remarked  Horace ;  "  a  woman  that'll  go  and 
rig  herself  up  in  that  style." 

"  She  must  be  near-sighted,"  said  Aunt 
Madge.  "  She  certainly  can't  have  the 
faintest  idea  how  thick  that  paint  is.  She 
ought  to  let  somebody  else  put  it  on." 

"But,  auntie,  isn't  it  wicked  to  wear 
paint  on  your  cheeks  ?" 

"No,  Dotty,  only  foolish.  That  woman 
was  handsome  once,  but  her  beauty  is 
gone.  She  thinks  she  can  make  herself 
young  again,  and  then  people  will  admire 
her." 

"  0,  but  they  won't;  they'll  only  laugh." 

"  Very  true,  Dotty ;  but  I  dare  say  she 
never  thought  of  that  till  this  little  child 
told  her." 


TAKING   OUR   AIRS.  63 

"Fly,"  said  Horace,  "You  are  doing  a 
great  deal  of  good  going  round  hurting 
folks'  feelings." 

"Poor  woman  !"  said  Aunt  Madge,  with 
a  pitying  smile ;  "  she  might  comfort  her 
self  by  trying  to  make  her  soul  beautiful." 

"  That  would  be  altogether  the  best 
plan/'  said  Horace,  aside  to  Prudy ;  "  she 
can't  do  much  with  her  body,  that's  a  fact ; 
it's  too  dried  up." 

All  this  while  they  were  passing  elegant 
shops,  and  Aunt  Madge  let  the  children 
pause  as  long  as  they  liked  before  the 
windows,  to  admire  the  beautiful  things. 

"  Whose  little  grampa  is  that  ?"  cried 
Fly,  pointing  to  a  Santa  Glaus  standing 
on  the  pavement  and  holding  out  his  hands 
with  a  very  pleasant  smile;  "he's  all  cov 
ered  with  a  snow-storm." 

"He  isn't  alive,"  said  Dotty;  "and  the 
t 


64  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

snow  is  only  painted  on  his  coat  in  little 
dots/' 

"  Well,  I  didn't  spect  he  was  alive,  Dotty 
Dimple,  only  but  he  made  believe  he  was. 
And  O,  see  that  hossy !  he's  dead,  too, 
but  he  looks  as  if  you  could  ride  on 
him." 

^  This  othei>  window  is  the  handsomest, 
Fly;  don't  I  wish  1  had  some  of  those 
beautiful  dripping,  red  ear-rings  ?" 

"Why,  little  sister,"  said  Prudy,  "I'd 
as  soon  think  of  wanting  a  gold  nose  as 
those  cat-tail  ear-rings.  What  would  Grand 
ma  Kead  say?" 

"Why,  she'd  say  <  thee'  and  <thou,'  I 
s'pose,  and  ask  me  if  I  called  'em  the  or 
naments  of  meek  and  quiet  spirits,"  said 
Dotty,  with  a  slight  carl  of  the  lip. 
"Auntie,  is  it  wicked  to  wear  jewels,  if 
your  grandma's  a  Quaker  ?" 


TAKING  OUR  AIRS.  65 

"  I  think  not ;  that  is,  if  somebody  should 
give  you  a  pair;  but  I  hope  somebody 
never  will.  It  is  a  mere  matter  of  taste, 
however.  0,  children, .  now  I  think  of  it, 
I'll  give  you  each  a  little  pin-money  to 
spend,  to-day,  just  as  you  like.  A  dollar 
each  to  Prudy  and  Dotty ;  and,  Horace, 
here  is  fifty  cents  for  Flyaway." 

"  0,  you  darling  auntie !  "  cried  the  little 
Parlins,  in  a  breath.  Dotty  shut  this,  the 
largest  bill  she  had  ever  owned,  into  her 
red  porte-monnaie,  feeling  sure  she  should 
never  want  for  anything  again  that  money 
can  buy. 

"  There,  now,  Hollis,"  said  Fly,  draw 
ing  her  mouth  down  and  her  eyebrows  up? 
"  where's  my  skipt  ?  my  skipt  ?  " 

"  What  ?     A  little  snip  like  you  mustn't 
have  money,"  answered  Horace,  carelessly; 
"  auntie  gave  it  to  me." 
5 


66  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

The  moment  lie  had  spoken  the  words, 
he  was  sorry,  for  the  child  was  too  young 
and  sensitive  to  be  trifled  with.  She  never 
doubted  that  her  great  cruel  brother  had 
robbed  her.  It  was  too  much.  Her  "  dove's 
eyes "  shot  fire.  Flyaway  could  be  terri 
bly  angry,  and  her  anger  was  "  as  quick 
as  a  chain  o'  lightning."  Before  any  one 
had  time  to  think  twice,  she  had  turned 
on  her  little  heel,  and  was  running  away. 
With  one  impulse  the  whole  party  turned 
and  followed. 

"Prudy  and  I  haven't  breath  enough  to 
run,"  said  Aunt  Madge.  "  Here  we  are  at 
Stewart's.  You'll  find  us  in  the  rotunda, 
Horace.  Come  back  here  with  Fly,  as  soon 
as  you  have  caught  her." 

As  soon  as  he  had  caught  her ! 

They  were  on  Broadway,  which  was 
lined  with  people,  moving  to  and  fro. 


TAKING   OUR   AIRS.  67 

Horace  and  Dotty  had  to  push  their  way 
through  the  crowd,  while  little  Fly  seemed 
to  float  like  a  creature  of  air. 

"  Stop,  Fly  !  Stop,  Fly  !  "  cried  Horace ; 
but  that  only  added  speed  to  her  wings. 

"  She's  like  a  piece  of  thistle-down," 
laughed  Horace ;  "  when  you  get  near  her 
you  blow  her  away." 

"  Stop,  0,  stop,"  cried  Dotty ;  "  Horace 
was  only  in  fun.  Don't  run  away  from  us, 
Fly." 

But  by  this  time  the  child  was  so  far  off 
that  the  words  were  lost  in  the  din. 

"  Why,  where  is  she  ?  I  don't  see  her," 
exclaimed  Horace,  as  the  little  blue  figure 
suddenly  vanished,  like  a  puff  of  smoke. 
"Did  she  cross  the  street?" 

"  I  don't  know,  Horace.  O,  dear,  I  don't 
know." 

It  was  the  first  time  a  fear  had  entered 


68  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

either  of  their  minds.  Knowing  very  little 
of  the  danger  of  large  cities,  they  had  not 
dreamed  that  the  foolish  little  Fly  might 
get  caught  in  some  dreadful  spider's  web. 


DOTTY   HAVING   HER   OWN   WAY.  69 


CHAPTER   Y. 

DOTTY   HAVING   HER    OWN   WAY. 

YES,  Fly  was  out  of  sight ;  that  was  cer 
tain.  Whether  she  had  turned  to  the  right, 
or  to  the  left,  or  had  merely  gone  straight 
on,  fallen  down,  and  been  trampled  on, 
that  was  the  question.  How  was  one  to 
find  out?  People  enough  to  inquire  of, 
but  nobody  to  answer. 

Horace  had  as  many  thoughts  as  a  drown 
ing  man.  How  had  he  ever  dared  bring 
such  a  will-o'-the-wisp  away  from  home? 
How  had  his  mother  consented  to  let  him  ? 
His  father  had  charged  him,  over  and  over, 
not  to  let  go  Fly's  hand  in  the  street. 
That  did  very  well  to  talk  about;  but  what 


70  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

could  yon  do  with  a  child  that  wasn't  made 
of  flesh  and  blood,  bnt  the  very  lightest 
kind  of  gas  ? 

"  Dotty,  turn  down  this  street,  and  I'll 
keep  on  np  Broadway.  No  —  no;  you'd 
get  lost.  "What  shall  we  do?  Go  just 
where  I  do,  as  hard  as  you  can  run,  and 
don't  lose  sight  of  me." 

Dotty  began  to  pant.  She  could  not 
keep  on  at  this  rate  of  speed,  and  Horace 
saw  it. 

"  You'll  have  to  go  back  to  Stewart's." 

"  Where's  Stewart's  ?  "  gasped  Dotty,  still 
running. 

"Why,  that  stone  building  on  Tenth 
Street,  with  blue  curtains,  where  we  .left 
auntie." 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  Tenth 
Street  or  blue  curtains." 

"  But  you'll  know  it  when  you  get  there. 
Just  cross  over — " 


DOTTY   HAVING   HER    OWN   WAY.  71 

"0,  Horace  Clifford,  I  can't  cross  over! 
There's  horses  and  carriages  every  minute; 
and  my  mother  made  me  almost  promise 
I  wouldn't  ever  cross  over." 

"There  are  plenty  of  policemen,  Dotty; 
they'll  take  you  by  the  shoulder  — " 

"0,  Horace  Clifford,  they  shan't  take 
me  by  the  shoulder!  S'pose  I  want  'em 
marching  me  off  to  the  lockup  ? "  screamed 
Dotty,  who  believed  the  lockup  was  the 
chief  end  and  aim  of  policemen. 

"  Well,  then,  I  don't  know  anything  what 
to  do  with  you,"  said  Horace,  in  despair. 

It  seemed  very  hard  that  he  should  have 
the  care  of  this  willful  little  cousin,  just 
when  he  wanted  so  much  to  be  free  to 
pursue  Flyaway. 

"  If  you  won't  go  back  to  Stewart's,  you 
won't.  Will  you  go  into  this  shop,  then, 
and  wait  till  I  call  for  you  ?  " 


72  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"  You'll  forget  to  call." 

"  I  certainly  won't  forget." 

"Well,  then,  I'll  go  in;  but  I  won't 
promise  to  stay.  I  want  to  help  hunt  for 
Fly  just  as  much  as  you  do." 

"Dotty  Dimple,  look  me  right  in  the 
eye.  I  can't  stop  to  coax  you.  I'm  fright 
ened  to  death  about  Fly.  Do  you  go  into 
this  store,  and  stay  in  it  till  I  call  for  you, 
if  it's  six  hours.  If  you  stir,  you're  lost. 
Do — you  —  hear  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  hear. —  H'm,  he  thinks  my  ears 
are  thick  as  ears  o'  corn?  No  holes  in 
'em  to  hear  with,  I  s'pose !  Horace  Clif 
ford  hasn't  got  the  say  o'  me,  though.  I 
can  go  all  over  town  for  all  o'  him !  " 

"What  will  you  have,  my  little  lady?" 
said  a  clerk,  bowing  to  Dotty. 

"I  don't  want  anything,  if  you  please, 
sir.  There  was  a  boy,  and  he  asked  me 


DOTTY   HAVING   HER    OWN   WAY.  73 

to  stay  here  while  he  went  to  find  some 
thing." 

"  Very  well ;  sit  as  long  as  you  please." 
"  Screwed  right  down  into  the  floor,  this 
piano  stool  is,"  thought  Dotty;  "makes 
it  real  hard  to  sit  on,  because  you  can't 
whirl  it.  Guess  I'll  walk  'round  a  while. 
Why,  if  here  isn't  a  window  right  in  the 
floor  !  Strong  enough  to  walk  on.  There's 
a  man  going  over  it  with  big  boots  and 
a  cane.  I  can  look  right  down  into  the 
cellar.  Only  just  I  can't  see  any  thing, 
though,  the  glass  is  so  thick." 

Dotty  watched  the  clerks  measuring  off 
yards  of  cloth,  tapping  on  the  counter,  and 
calling  out,  "  Cash."  It  was  rather  funny, 
at  first,  to  see  the  little  boys  run;  but  Dotty 
soon  tired  of  it. 

"  Horace  is  gone  a  long  while,"  thought 
she,  going  to  the  door  and  looking  out. 


74  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"  lie  has  forgotten  to  call,  or  he's  forgot 
ten  where  he  left  me,  or  else  he  hasn't 
found  Fly.  Dear,  dear!  I  can't  wait.  I'll 
jost  go  out  a  few  steps,  and  p'rhaps  I'll 
meet  'em.'* 

She  walked  out  a  little  way,  seeing 
nothing  but  a  multitude  of  strange  faces. 

"  Well,  I  should  think  this  was  queer ! 
,  I'll  go  right  back  to  that  store,  and  sit 
down  on  the  piano '  stool.  If  Horace  Clif 
ford  can't  be  more  polite  !  Well,  I  should 
think!" 

Dotty  went  back,  and  entered,  as  she 
supposed,  the  store  she  had  left;  but  a 
great  change  had  come  over  it.  It  had 
the  same  counters,  and  stools,  and  goods 
on  lines,  marked  "Selling  off  below  cost;" 
but  the  men  looked  very  different.  "  I 
don't  see  how  they  could  change  round  so 
quick,"  thought  Dotty;  "I  haven't  been 
gone  more'n  a  minute." 


DOTTY   HAVING   HER    OWN   WAY.  75 

"What  shall  I  serve  you  to,  mees,"  said 
one  of  them,  with  a  smile  that  was  all  black 
eyes  and  white  teeth.  Dotty  thought  he 
looked  very  much  like  Lina  Eosenbugs 
brother;  and  his  hair  was  so  shiny  and 
sticky,  it  must  have  been  dipped  in  mo 
lasses. 

She  answered  him  with  some  confusion. 
"  I  don't  want  anything.  I  was  the  girl, 
you  know,  that  the  boy  was  going  some 
where  to  find  something." 

The  man  smiled  wickedly,  and  said, 
"Tees,  mees."  In  an  instant  it  flashed 
across  Dotty  that  she  had  got  into  the 
wrong  store.  Where  was  the  glass  window 
she  had  wralked  on?  They  couldn't  have 
taken  that  out  while  she  wras  gone.  The 
floor  was  whole,  and  made  of  nothing  but 
boards. 

"  Well,  it's  very  queer  stores  should  be 
twins,"  thought  Dotty. 


76  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

She  entered  the  next  one.  It  was  not  a 
"twin ;"  it  was  full  of  books  and  pictures. 

"  Why  didn't  Horace  leave  me  here,  in 
the  first  place,  it  was  so  much  nicer.  And 
they  let  people  read  and  handle  the  pic 
tures.  O,  they  have  the  goldest-lodkii*m 
things ! " 

How  shocked  Prudy  would  have  been, 
if  she  had  seen  her  little  sister  reaching  up 
to  the  counter,  and  turning  over  the  leaves 
of  books,  side  by  side  with  grown  people ! 
Miss  Dimple  was  never  very  bashful ;  and 
what  did  she  care  for  the  people  in  New 
York,  who  never  saw  her  before?  She 
soon  became  absorbed  in  a  fairy  story. 
Seconds,  minutes,  quarters ;  it  was  a  whole 
hour  before  she  came  to  herself  enough  to 
remember  that  Horace  was  to  call  for  her, 
and  she  was  not  where  he  had  left  her. 

"But  he  can't  scold;  for  didn't  he  keep 
me  waiting,  too  ?  Now  I'll  go  back." 


DOTTY  HAVING  HER   OWN   WAY.  77 

The  next  place  she  entered  was  a  cigar 
store. 

"I  might  have  known  better  than  to  go 
in ;  for  there's  that  wooden  Indian  stand 
ing  there,  a-purpose  to  keep  ladies  out !" 

"  0,  here's  a  '  Sample  Room.'  Now  this 
\must  be  the  place,  for  it  says  'Push,'  on 
the  green  door,  just  as  the  other  one  did." 

What  was  Dotty 's  astonishment,  when 
she  found  she  had  rushed  into  a  room 
which  held  only  tables,  bottles,  and  glasses, 
;and  men  drinking  something  that  smelt 
like  hot  brandy ! 

"I  shan't  go  into  any  more  ' Sample 
!  Rooms/  I  didn't  know  a  '  Sample'  meant 
whiskey !  But,  I  do  declare,  it's  funny 
where  my  store  is  gone  to." 

The  child  was  going  farther  and  farther 
away  from  it. 

"Here  is  one  that  looks  a  little  like  it 


78  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

Any  way,  I  can  see  a  glass  window  in  there, 
on  the  floor/' 

A  lady  stood  at  a  counter,  folding  a 
piece  of  green  velvet  ribbon.  Dotty  deter 
mined  to  make  friends  with  her ;  so  she 
went  up  to  her,  and  said,  in  a  low  voice, 
"  "Will  you  please  tell  me,  ma'am,  if  I'm 
the  same  little  girl  that  was  in  here  before? 
No,  I  don't  mean  so.  I  mean,  did  I  go  into 
the  same  store,  or  is  this  a  different  one  ? 
Because  there's  a  boy  going  to  call  for  me, 
and  I  thought  I'd  better  know." 

Of  course  the  lady  smiled,  and  said  it 
might,  or  might  not  be  the  same  place;, 
but  she  did  not  remember  to  have  seen 
Dotty  before. 

""What  was  the  number  of  the  stores 
The  boy  ought  to  have  known." 

"  But  I  don't  believe  he  did,"  replied 
Dotty,  indignantly;  "he  never  said  a  word 


DOTTY   HAVING   HER    OWN   WAY.  79 

to  me  about  numbers.  I'm  almost  afraid 
I'll  get  lost !" 

"I  should  be  quite  afraid  of  it,  child. 
"Where  do  you  live  ?" 

"In  Portland,  in  the  State  of  Maine. 
Prudy  and  I  came  to  New  York :  our 
auntie  sent  for  us  —  I  know  the  place 
when  I  see  it;  side  of  a  church  with  ivy ; 
but  0,  dear  !  Pm  afraid  the  stage  don't 
stop  there.  She's  at  Mr.  Stewart's — she 
and  Prudy." 

"  Do  you  mean  Stewart's  store  ?" 

"  0,  no'm  ;  it's  a  man  she  knows/'  re 
plied  Dotty,  confidently;  "  he  lives  in  a 
blue  house." 

The  lady  asked  no  more  questions.  If 
Dotty  had  said  "Stewart's  store,"  and 
had  remembered  that  the  curtains  were 
blue,  and  not  the  building,  Miss  Kopper 
would  have  thought  she  knew  what  to  do ; 


80  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

she  would  have  sent  the  child  straight  to 
Stewart's. 

"Poor  little  thing!"  said  she,  twisting 
the  long  curl,  which  hung  down  the  back 
of  her  neck  like  a  bell-rope,  and  looking 
as  if  she  cared  more  about  her  hair  than 
she  cared  for  all  the  children  in  Portland. 
"  The  best  thing  you  can  do  is  to  go  right 
into  the  druggist's,  next  door  but  one,  and 
look  in  the  City  Directory.  Do  you  know 
your  aunt's  husband's  name?" 

"  0,  yes'm.  Colonel  Augustus  Allen, 
Fiftieth  Avenue." 

"Well,  then,  there'll  be  no  difficulty. 
Just  go  in  and  ask  to  look  in  the  Direc 
tory  ;  they'll  tell  you  what  stage  to  take. 
"Now  I  must  attend  to  these  ladies.  Hope 
you'll  get  home  safe." 

"A  handsome  child,"  said  one  of  the 
ladies.  "Yes,  from  the  country,"  replied 


DOTTY   HAVING   HER   OWN   WAY.  81 

Miss  Kopper  with  a  sweet  smile;  "I  have 
just  been  showing  her  the  way  home." 

Ah,  Miss  Kopper,  perhaps  you  thought 
you  were  telling  the  truth ;  but  instead 
of  relieving  the  country  child's  perplexity, 
you  had  confused  her  more  than  ever. 
What  should  Dotty  Dimple  know  about  a 
City  Directory  ?  She  forgot  the  name  of  it 
before  she  got  to  the  druggist's. 

"Please,  sir,  there's  something  in  here, — 
may  I  see  it? — that  shows  folks  where  they 
live/' 

" A  policeman  ? " 

"No;  0,  no,  sir." 

After  some  time,  the  gentleman,  being 
rather  shrewd,  surmised  what  she  wanted, 
and  gave  her  the  book. 

"Not  that,  sir,"  said  Dotty,  ready  to 
cry. 

Perhaps  you  will  be  as  ready  to  laugh, 
6 


82  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

when  you  hear  that  the  child  really  sup 
posed  a  City  Directory  was  an  instrument 
that  drew  out  and  shut  up  like  a  telescope, 
and,  by  peeping  through  it,  she  could  see 
the  distant  home  of  Colonel  Allen,  on 
"  Fiftieth  Avenue." 

The  apothecary  did  not  laugh  at  her; 
but,  being  a  kind  man,  and,  moreover,  not 
having  curls  hanging  down  his  neck  which 
needed  attention,  he  gave  his  whole  care 
to  Dotty,  found  an  omnibus  for  her,  told 
the  driver  just  where  to  let  her  out,  and 
made  her  repeat  her  uncle's  street  and  num 
ber  till  he  thought  there  was  no  danger  of  a 
mistake, 


DOTTY   REBUKED.  83 


CHAPTER   VI. 

DOTTY   REBUKED. 

ONE  would  have  thought  that  now  all 
Dotty's  troubles  were  over;  and  so  they 
would  have  been,  if  she  had  not  tried  so 
hard  to  remember  the  number.  She  said 
it  over  and  over  so  many  times,  that  all 
of  a  sudden  it  went  out  of  her  mind.  It 
was  like  rolling  a  ball  on  the  ground,  back 
ward  and  forward,  till  most  unexpectedly  it 
pops  into  a  hole.  Very  much  frightened, 
Dotty  bit  her  lip,  twirled  her  front  hair,  and 
pinched  her  left  cheek— all  in  vain;  the 
number  wouldn't  come. 

"0,  dear,  what'll  I  do?  I'd  open  that 
cellar  door,  where  the  driver  is;  but  he's 


84  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

all  done  up  in  a  blue  cape,  and  don't 
know  anything  only  how  to  whip  his 
horses.  And  there  don't  anybody  know 
where  anybody  lives  in  this  city ;  so  it's 
no  use  to  ask.  For  what  do  they  care  ? 
They'd  tell  you  to  look  in  the  Dictionary. 
There's  nobody  in  Portland  ever  told  me 
to  look  in  a  Dictionary.  Here  they  are, 
sitting  round  here,  just  as  happy,  all  but 
me.  They  all  live  in  a  number,  and  they 
know  what  it  is ;  but  they  keep  it  to  them 
selves, — they  don't  tell.  It  always  makes 
people  feel  better  to  know  where  they're 
going  to.  When  I'm  in  Portland  I  know 
how  to  get  to  Park  Street,  and  how  to  get 
to  Munjoy,  and  how  to  get  to  Back  Cove, 
with  my  eyes  shut.  But  they  don't  make 
things  as  they  ought  to  in  New  York.  You 
can't  find  out  what  to  do." 

So  the  stage  rumbled,  and  Dotty  grum- 


DOTTY   REBUKED.  85 

bled.  Presently  a  lady  in  an  ermine  cloak 
got  out,  and  Dotty  did  not  know  of  any 
thing  better  to  do  than  to  follow,  She 
certainly  was  on  Fifth  Avenue,  and  perhaps, 
if  she  walked  on,  she  should  come  to  the 
number, 

"  There  isn't  any  house  along  here  that 
looks  like  auntie's,"  said  she,  anxiously; 
"  only  they  all  look  like  it  some.  I  never 
saw  such  a  place  as  this  city0  So  many 
same  things  right  over  and  over ;  and  then, 
when  you  go  into  'em,  its  just  as  differ 
ent,  and  not  the  place  you  s'posed  it  was." 

Here  Dotty  ran  up  some  steps,  and  rang 
a  bell.  She  thought  the  damask  curtains 
looked  familiar. 

"  No,-  no,"  cried  she,  running  down  again, 
as  fast  as  the  mouse  ran  down  the  clock ; 
"  my  auntie  don't  keep  onions  in  her  bay 
*  indow,  I  hope  !" 


86  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

It  was  hyacinth  bulbs,  in  glass  vases, 
which  had  excited  Dotty's  disgust. 

"  0,  I  guess  I'm  on  the  wrong  side  of 
the  street ;  no  wonder  I  can't  find  the 
house.  There,  I  see  a  chamber  window 
open  ;  our  chamber  window  was  open.  I'm 
going  to  cross  over  and  get  near  enough 
to  see  if  there's  a  little  clock  on  the  shelf 
that  ticks  HKC  a  dog  wagging  his  tail." 

No,  there  was  no  clock  of  any  sort,  and 
where  the  shelf  ought  to  be  was  a  baby's 
crib. 

"Well,  any  way,  here's  that  beautiful 
church,  with  ivy  round  it  ;  it's  ever  so 
near  auntie's  ;  so  I'll  keep  walking." 

Dotty  was  right  when  she  said  the  church 
was  near  auntie's — it  was  within  three 
doors;  but  she  was  wrong  when  she  kept 
walking  precisely  the  wrong  way.  She 
crossed  over  to  Sixth  Avenue.  Now,  where 


DOTTY   REBUKED.  87 

were  the  brown  houses  ?  She  saw  the 
horse-cars  plodding  along,  and  tried  to  read 
the  words  on  them. 

<  Sixth  Ave.  and  Fifty-Ninth  Street.' 
"Why,  what's  an  ave  ?  I  never  heard  ot 
such  a  thing  before;  we  don't  have  Caves' 
in  Portland.  There  are  ever  so  many 
people  getting  out  of  that  car.  While  it 
stops,  I'll  peep  in,  and  see  where  it's  going 
to.  Perhaps  there's  a  name  inside  that 
tells." 

And,  with  her  usual  rashness,  Dotty 
stepped  upon  the  platform  of  the  car,  and 
looked  in.  What  she  expected  to  see  she 
hardly  knew,  —  perhaps  " Aunt  Madge's 
House,"  in  gold  letters  ;  but  what  she 
really  saw  was,  " No  Smoking;"  those  two 
words,  and  nothing  more. 

"  Well,  who  wants  to  smoke  ?  I'm  sure 
1  don't,"  thought  Dotty,  disdainfully,  and 


88  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTKAY. 

was  turning  to  step  off  the  platform,  when 
Horace  Clifford  seized  her  by  the  shoulder. 

"  Where  did  you  come  from,  you  runa 
way  V  said  he,  gruffly. 

Close  beside  him  were  Aunt  Madge  and 
Prudy ;  all  three  were  getting  out  of  the 
car. 

"  Thank  Heaven,  one  of  them  is  found," 
cried  Aunt  Madge,  her  face  very  pale,  her 
large  eyes  full  of  trouble. 

Prudy  kissed  and  scolded  in  the  same 
breath.  "0,  Dotty  Dimple,  you'd  better 
believe  we're  glad  to  see  you? — but  what 
a  naughty  girl !  A  pretty  race  you've  led 
Horace,  and  he  just  wild  about  Fly  !" 

"H'm!  what'd  he  go  off  for,  then,  and 
leave  me  there,  sitting  on  a  piano  stool  ? 
S'pose  Ps  going  to  sit  there  all  day? 
Didn't  I  want  to  go  home  as  much  as  the 
rest  of  you." 


DOTTY   REBUKED.  89 

"  And  how  did  you  get  home?  I'd  like 
to  know  that,"  said  Horace,  walking  on 
with  great  strides,  and  then  coming  back 
again  to  the  "ladies;"  for  his  anxiety 
about  his  little  sister  would  not  allow  him 
to  behave  calmly. 

"  I  rode." 

"You  weren't  in  the  car  we  came  in." 

",N-o;  I  just  happened  to  be  peeking 
in  there  you  know.  But  I  came  in  an 
omnibius" 

"It  is  wonderful/'  said  Aunt  Madge,  look 
ing  puzzled,  "that  you  ever  knew  what 
omnibus  to  take." 

Dotty  looked  down  to  see  if  her  boot 
was  buttoned,  and  forgot  to  look  up  again. 
"Well,  /  shouldn't  have  known  one 
omnibius,  as  you  call  it,  from  another," 
said  Prudy,  lost  in  admiration.  "Why, 
Dotty,  how  bright  you  are!  And  there 


90  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

we  were,  so  afraid  about  you,  and  spoke 
to  a  policeman  to  look  you  up/' 

"I  wouldn't  let  a  p'liceman  catch  me," 
said  Dotty,  tossing  her  head.  "But  haven't 
you  found  Fly  yet?" 

They  were  at  home  by  this  time,  and 
Horace  was  ringing  the  bell. 

"No,  the  dear  child  is  still  missing;  but 
the  police  are  on  her  track,"  said  Aunt 
Madge,  looking  at  her  watch.  "It  is  now 
one  o'clock.  Keep  a  good  heart,  Horace, 
my  boy.  John  shall  go  straight  to  the 
telegraph  office,  and  wait  there  for  a  de 
spatch.  Don't  you  leave  us,  dear;  we 
can't  spare  you,  and  you  can  do  no  good." 

Horace  made  no  reply,  except  to  tap 
the  heels  of  his  boots  together.  He  looked 
utterly  crushed.  A  large  city  was  just  as 
strange  to  him  as  it  was  to  Dotty,  and 
he  could  only  obey  his  aunt's  orders,  and 


DOTTY   REBUKED.  91 

try  to  hope  for  the  best.  Dotty  seemed 
to  be  the  only  one  who  felt  like  saying  a 
word,  and  she  talked  incessantly. 

"  0,  what'd  you  send  the  p'lice  after  her 
for?  To  put  her  in  the  lockup,  and  make 
her  cry  and  think  she's  been  naughty? 
It's  the  awfulest  city  that  ever  I  saw. 
Folks  might  send  her  home,  if  they  were 
a  mind  to,  but  they  won't.  They  don't 
care  what  'comes  of  you.  There's  cars  and 
sfages  going  to  which  ways,  and  nothing 
but  6]$k)  Smoking/  inside.  And  I  went 
and  peeped  in  at  a  window,  and  there  was 
onions!  And  how'd  I  know  where  to  go 
to?  There  was  a  girl  with  a  long  curl, 
and  she  said,  'Go  to  the  Apothecary's;' 
and  what  would  Fly  have  known  where 
she  meant?  And  he  looked  in  a  Diction 
ary,  and  put  me  in  a  stage, — I  was  going 
to  tell  you  about  that  when  I  got  ready, 


92  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

— and  asked  me  if  I  had  ten  cents,  and 
I  had;  and  then  I  forgot  what  the  number 
was,  and  that  was  the  time  I  saw  the 
onions,  or  I  should  have  gone  right  into 
somebody's  else's  house.  And  I  knew  there 
was  a  church  with  ivy  round,  but  Fly  don't 
know;  she's  nothing  but  a  baby.  And  I 
should  have  thought,  Horace  Clifford,  you 
might  have  given  her  that  money!  That 
was  what  made  her  run  off;  you  was  real 
cruel,  and  that's  why  I  wouldn't  mind 
what  you  said.  And — and — " 

"Hush,"  said  Aunt  Madge,  brushing  back 
a  spray  of  fair  curls,  which  the  wind  had 
tossed  over  her  forehead.  "I  don't  allow 
a  word  of  scolding  in  my  house.  If  you 
don't  feel  pleasant,  Dotty,  you  may  go 
into  the  back  yard  and  scold  into  a  hole." 

Dotty  stopped  suddenly.  She  knew  her 
aunt  was.  displeased;  she  felt  it  in  the 
tones  of  her  voice. 


DOTTY   REBUKED.  93 

"Dotty,  the  wind  has  been  at  play  with 
your  hair  as  well  as  mine.  Suppose  we 
both  go  up  stairs  a  few  minutes  ? " 

"There,  auntie's  going  to  reason  with 
me,"  thought  Dotty,  winding  slowly  up 
the  staircase ;  "  I  didn't  suppose  she  was  one 
of  that  kind." 

"  No  dear,  I'm  not  one  of  that  kind," 
said  Mrs.  Allen,  roguishly;  for  she  saw 
just  what  the  child  was  thinking.  " '  I  come 
not  here  to  talk.'  All  I  have  to  say  is 
this :  Disobey  again,  and  I  send  you  home 
immediately." 

"  Yes'm,"  said  the  little  culprit,  blushing 
crimson.  "JSTow,  brush  your  hair,  and  let 
us  go  down."  This  was  the  only  allusion 
Mrs.  Allen  ever  made  to  the  subject;  but 
after  this,  she  and  Dotty  understood  each 
other  perfectly.  Dotty  had  learned,  once 
for  all,  that  her  aunt  was  not  to  be  trifled 
with. 


LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

The  child  really  was  ashamed  —  thor 
oughly  ashamed;  but  do  you  suppose  she 
admitted  it  to  Horace?  Not  she.  And 
he,  so  full  of  aDguish  concerning  the  lost 
Fly,  found  not  a  word  of  fault;  scarcely 
even  thought  of  his  naughty  cousin  at  all. 


THE   LOST   FLY.  95 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   LOST  FLY. 

Now  we  must  go  back  and  see  what  has 
become  of  the  little  one. 

At  first  her  heart  had  swollen  with  rage. 
Anger  had  set  her  going,  just  as  a  blow 
from  a  battledoor  sends  off  a  shuttlecock. 
And,  once  being  started,  the  poor  little 
shuttlecock  couldn't  stop. 

" Auntie  gave  me  that  skipt.  Hollis  is 
a  very  wicked  boy ;  steals  skipt  from  little 
gee-urls.  I  don't  ever  want  to  see  Hollis 
no  more." 

What  she  meant  to  do,  or  where  to  go, 
she  had  no  more  idea  than  the  blue  clouds 
overhead.  She  had  no  doubt  her  brother 


9G  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

was  close  behind,  trying  to  overtake  her. 
Her  sole  thought  was,  that  she  "wouldn't 
ever  see  Hollis  no  more."  She  knew  noth 
ing  could  make  him  so  unhappy  as  that. 
"  I'll  lose  me,  and  then  how'll  he  feel?" 

"Lose  me!"  A  wild  thought,  gone  in 
a  moment ;  but  meanwhile  she  was  already 
lost. 

"I  hope  auntie  won't  give  Hollis  nuffin 
to  eat,  'cause  he's  took  away  my  skipt; 
nuffin  to  eat  but  meat  and  vertato,  athout 
any  pie." 

Flyaway  shook  her  head  so  hard,  that 
the  "war-plume"  under  her  bonnet  would 
have  nodded,  if  the  air  could  have  got  at 
it.  "Why,  where's  Hollis?"  said  she, 
looking  back,  and  finding,  to  her  surprise, 
he  was  not  to  be  seen.  "  I  spected  he'd 
come.  I  thought  I  heard  him  walking 
ahind  me." 


THE   LOST    FLY.  97 

Flyaway's  anger  had  died  out  by  this 
time.  It  never  lasted  longer  than  a  Fourth 
of  July  torpedo. 

"He  didn't  know  I  runned  off.  Guess 
I'll  go  back,  and  he'll  give  me  the  ekipt ; 
and  then  I'll  forgive  him  all  goody." 

A  very  nice  plan  ;  only,  instead  of  going 
back,  she  turned  a  corner,  and  tripped 
along  towards  University  Place.  She  had 
twisted  her  head  so  much  in  looking  for 
Horace,  that  it  was  completely  turned 
round.  And,  besides,  a  little  farther  on 
was  a  man  playing  a  harp,  and  a  small 
boy  a  violin.  Fly  paused  and  listened,  till 
she  no  longer  remembered  Horace  or  the 
"  skipt."  She  forgot  this  was  New  York, 
and  dreamed  she  had  come  to  fairy-land. 
Her  soul  was  full  of  music.  Happy 
thoughts  about  nothing  in  particular  made 
her  smile  and  clap  her  hands.  Birds, 


98  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

flowers,  Santa  Clauses,  Flipperties,  and 
"  pepnits "  seemed  to  hover  near.  Some 
thing  beautiful  was  just  going  to  happen, 
she  didn't  know  what. 

After  the  man  had  played  for  some 
time  without  attracting  attention  from  any 
body  but  Flyaway  and  a  poor  old  beggar 
woman,  he  put  his  harp  in  a  green  bag, 
slung  it  over  his  shoulder,  and  walked 
off.  Flyaway  followed  without  knowing 
it.  Down  Sixth  Avenue  went  the  music- 
man,  and  close  at  his  heels  went  she.  By 
and  by  she  saw  a  little  girl,  no  larger  than 
herself,  with  a  great  bundle  on  her  shoul 
ders. 

"  You  don't  s'pose  she's  got  a  music  on 
her  back? — No,  not  a  music;  it's  too  soft 

-all  swelled  out  in  a  bunch." 

Fly  went  nearer  the  little  girl,  to  see 
what  she  was  carrying;  and  as  she  did 


THE   LOST   FLY.  99 

so,    some   gray    coals,   mixed   with    ashes, 
fell  out  of  the  bundle  upon  her  nice  cloak. 

"  Why,  she's  been  and  carried  off  her 
mother's  fireplace/'  thought  Fly,  shaking 
her  cloak  in  disgust;  "  what  you  s'pose  she 
wanted  to  do  that  for  ? " 

But  far  from  carrying  off  her  mother's 
fireplace,  the  ragged  little  girl  had  only 
been  picking  up  old  coal  out  of  barrels, 
and  was  taking  it  home  to  burn.  It  had 
already  been  burned  once,  and  picked  over 
and  burned  again,  and  thrown  away ;  but 
perhaps  this  poor  child's  mother  could  coax 
it  into  a  faint  glow,  warm  enough  to  fry 
a  few  potatoes. 

While  Flyaway  was  shaking  her  cloak, 
and  staring  at  some  old  silk  dresses  and 
bed-quilts,  which  were  hung  before  a  shop- 
rloor,  the  man  with  the  harp  on  his  back, 
r.nd  the  boy  with  a  violin  under  his  arm, 


100  LITTLE    FOLKS    ASTRAY. 

had  turned  a  corner,  and  passed  out  of 
sight.  Flyaway  rubbed  her  eyes,  and 
looked  again.  They  must  have  gone  down 
through  the  brick  pavement,  but  she 
couldn't  see  any  hole.  Far  away  in  the 
distance  she  heard  their  music  again,  and 
it  did  not  come  from  under  ground.  She 
ran  to  overtake  it,  and  turned  into  Bleecker 
Street.  No  music-man  there,  but  a  good 
supply  of  oranges  and  apples. 

"Needn't  folks  put  their  hands  in,  and 
take  some  out  the  barrels  ?  Then  why  for 
did  the  folks  put  'em  ou'  doors?" 

While  pondering  this  grave  question, 
she  was  jostled  by  a  man  carrying  a  rock 
ing-chair,  and  very  nearly  fell  down  stairs 
into  an  oyster-saloon.  A  minute  more  and 
she  was  back  on  Broadway,  the  very  street 
where  Aunt  Madge  and  Prudy  were  wait 
ing  for  her,  but  so  much  lower  down  that 


she  might  as  well  have  been  in  the  State 
of  Maine. 

"Now,  I'll  go  find  my  Hollis,"  said  she 
turning  another  corner,  and  running  the 
wrong  way  with  all  her  might.  Past  can 
dy-stalls,  past  toy-shops,  past  orange- 
wagons.  Hark,  music  again !  Not  the 
soft  strains  of  a  harp,  but  the  stirring 
notes  of  bugle,  fife,  and  drum.  Fly  kept 
time  with  her  feet. 

"Here  we  go  marchin'  on,"  hummed 
she.  But  the  crowd  "  marchin'  on"  with 
her  was  a  strange  one.  Carts  full  of  ham 
mers,  pincers,  and  all  sorts  of  iron  tools, 
and  men  in  gray  shirts,  with  black  caps 
on  their  heads.  Some  of  the  men  had 
banners,  with  great  black  words,  such  as 
"Equal  Eights,"  or  something  like  them, 
in  German;  but  of  course  Fly  could  not 
tell  one  letter  from  another.  She  only 


FOkKS   ASTRAY. 


knew  it  was  all  very  "homebly/'  in  spite 
of  the  music.  She  began  to  think  she  had 
better  get  away  as  soon  as  she  could  ;  so 
she  tried  to  cross  the  street,  but  some  one 
held  her  back;  it  was  a  lady,  carrying  a 
small  dog  in  her  arms,  like  a  baby. 

"  Don't  go  there,  child  ;  that's  a  strike, 
you'll  get  killed." 

Fly  knew  but  one  meaning  for  the  word 
strike;  and,  tearing  herself  from  the  lady, 
ran  screaming  down  Broadway,  with  the 
thought  that  every  man's  hand  was  against 
her. 

On  she  went,  ^nd  on  went  the  strike, 
close  behind  her.  A  little  while  ago  she 
had  been  following  music,  and  now  music 
was  following  her.  But  the  fifes  and 
drums  were  rather  slow,  and  Flyaway's 
feet  were  very  swift  ;  so  it  was  not  long 
before  the  gray  men,  with  their  white  ban- 


THE   LOST   FLY.  103 

ners  and  clattering  carts,  were  far  behind 
her.  No  danger  now  that  any  of  the 
wicked  creatures  would  strike  her;  so  she 
slackened  her  pace. 

She  did  begin  to  wonder  why  she  had 
not  found  Horace ;  still,  she  was  not  at 
all  alarmed,  and  there  was  a  dreadful  din 
in  the  streets,  which  confused  her  thoughts. 
It  seemed  as  if  people  were  making  it  on 
purpose.  Once,  at  Willowbrook,  she  had 
heard  boys  banging  tin  pans,  grinding  cof 
fee  mills,  and  pounding  with  mortars. 
She  had  liked  that,  —  they  called  it  the 
"  Calathumpian  Band," — and  she  liked  this 
too ;  it  sounded  about  as  uproarious. 

While  she  sauntered  along,  spying  won 
ders,  her  eye  was  attracted  by  some  bal 
ancing-toys,  which  a  man  was  showing  off* 
at  one  of  the  corners.  What  a  pleasant 
man  he  was,  to  set  them  spinning  just  to 


104  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

amuse  little  girls  !  Fly  was  delighted  with 
one  wee  soldier,  in  a  blue  coat  with  brass 
buttons,  who  kept  dancing  and  bowing  with 
the  greatest  politeness.  "  Captain  Jinks, 
of  the  horse-marines,"  said  the  toy-man, 
introducing  him.  "Buy  him,  miss;  he'll 
make  a  nice  little  husband  for  you ;  only 
fifteen  cents." 

Fly  felt  quite  flattered.  It  was  the  first 
time  in  her  life  any  one  had  ever  asked 
her  to  buy  anything,  and  she  thought  she 
must  have  grown  tall  since  she  came  from 
Indiana.  She  put  her  fingers  in  her  mouth, 
then  took  them  out,  and  put  them  in  her 
pocket. 

"  Here's  my  porte-monnaie-ry/'  said  she, 
dolefully;  "  but  I  haven't  but  two  cents — 
no  more.  Hollis  carried  it  off." 

"  Well,  well,  run  along,  then.  Don't  you 
see  you're  right  in  the  way  1" 


THE    LOST   FLY.  105 

Fly,  was  surprised  and  grieved  at  the 
change  in  the  man's  tone :  she  had  expect 
ed  he  would  pity  her  for  not  having  any 
money. 

"  Come  here,  you  little  lump  of  love," 
called  out  a  mellow  voice ;  and  there,  close 
by,  sat  a  wizened  old  woman,  making  flow 
ers  into  nosegays.  She  had  on  a  quilted 
hood  as  soft  as  her  voice,  but  everything 
else  about  her  was  as  hard  as  the  door-stone 
she  sat  on. 

"  See  my  beautiful  flowers,"  said  the  old 
crone,  pointing  to  the  table  before  her; 
"who  cares  for  them  jumping  things  over 
yonder  ?  I  don't." 

The  flowers  were  tied  in  bouquets  — 
sweet  violets,  rosebuds,  and  heliotrope. 
Fly,  whose  head  just  reached  the  top  of 
the  table,  smelt  them,  and  forgot  the  "  little 
husband,  for  fifteen  cents." 


106  LITTLE    FOLKS    ASTRAY. 

"  He's  a  cross  man,  dearie/'  said  the  old 
woman,  lowering  her  voice,  "  or  he  wouldn't 
have  sent  you  off  so  quick,  just  because 
you  hadn't  any  money.  Now,  I  love  little 
girls,  and  I'll  warrant  we  can  make  some 
kind  of  a  trade  for  one  of  my  posies." 

Fly  smiled,  and  quickly  seized  a  bouquet 
with  a  clove  pink  in  it. 

"  IsTot  so  fast,  child !  What  you  got 
that  you  can  give  me  for  it  ?  I  don't  mind 
the  money.  That  old  pocket-book  will  do, 
though  'tain't  wuth  much/' 

It  was  very  surprising  to  Fly  to  hear  her 
port-monnaie  called  old ;  for  it  was  bought 
last  week,  and  was  still  as  red  as  the  cheeks 
of  the  painted  lady. 

"  I  don't  dass  to  give  folks  my  porte- 
monnaie-ry,"  said  she,  clutching  it  tighter, 
but  holding  the  flowers  to  her  nose  all  the 
while. 


THE    LOST    FLY.  107 

"0,  fudge  !  Well,  what  else  you  got  in 
your  pocket  ?  A  handkerchief  ?  " 

"  No,  my  hangerfiss  is  in  my  muff/' 

"That?  Why,  there  isn't  a  speck  o' 
lace  on  it.  Nice  little  ladies  always  has 
lace.  Here's  a  letter  in  the  corner;  what 
is  it?" 

"  Hollis  says  it's  K ;  stands  for  Fly 
away." 

"  Well,  you're  such  a  pretty  little  pink, 
I  guess  I'll  take  it ;  but  'tain't  wuth  lookin' 
at,"  said  the  crafty  old  woman,  who  saw 
at  a  glanoe  it  was  pure  linen,  and  quite 
fine. 

"Now  run  along,  baby;  your  mummer 
will  be  waitin'  for  you." 

Fly  walked  on  slowly.  Ought  she  to 
have  parted  with  her  very  best  hangerfiss ! 

"  Nice  ole  lady,  loved  little  gee-urls ;  but 
what  you  s'pose  folks  was  goin'  to  cry  into 
now  ? " 


108  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

Tears  started  at  the  thought.  One  of 
them  dropped  into  the  eye  of  the  squirrel, 
who  sat  on  the  muff,  peeping  up  into  her 
face. 

"Nice  ole  lady,  I  s'pose  ;  but  folks 
never  wanted  to  buy  my  hangerfisses  by- 
fore  ! "  thought  Fly,  much  puzzled  by  the 
state  of  society  in  New  York.  "And  I've 
got  some  beau-fler  flowers  to  my  auntie's 
house.  "Wake  up — wake  up  ! "  added  she, 
blowing  open  a  pink  rose-bud ;  "  you's  too 
little  for  me." 

But  the  bud  did  not  wish  to  wake  up  and 
be  a  rose ;  it  curled  itself  together,  and 
went  to  sleep  again. 

"I  don't  see  where  Hollis  stays  to  all 
the  time/'  exclaimed  the  little  one,  begin 
ning  to  have  a  faint  curiosity  about  it. 


THE   FRECKLED   DOG.  109 


CHAPTEK    VIII. 

• 

"  THE  FRECKLED  DOG." 

BUT  just  then  a  gentle-looking  blind  girl 
came  along  led  by  a  dog.  The  sight  was 
so  strange  that  Flyaway  stopped  to  ad 
mire  ;  for  whatever  else  she  might  be 
afraid  of,  she  always  loved  and  trusted  a 
dog. 

u  Doggie,  doggie/'  cried  she,  patting  the 
little  animal's  head. 

"  0,  what  a  sweet  voice,"  said  the  blind 
girl,  putting  out  her  hand  and  groping  till 
she  touched  Fly's  shoulder.  "  I  never 
heard  such  a  voice  !" 

This  was  what  strangers  often  said, 
arid  Flyaway  never  doubted  the  sweet' 


110  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

ness  was  caused  by  eating  so  much  candy ; 
but  just  now  she  had  had  none  for  two 
days. 

"  What  makes  you  shut  your  eyes  up, 
right  in  the  street,  girl  ?  Is  the  seeingness 
all  gone  out  of  'em  ?" 

"  Yes,  you  darling.  I  haven't  had  any 
seeingness  in  my  eyes  for  a  year." 

"You  didn't?  Then  you's  blind-eyed," 
returned  Flyaway,  with  perfect  coolness. 

"And  don't  you  feel  sorry  for  me — not 
a  bit  V" 

"No,  'cause  your  dog  is  freckled  so 
pretty." 

"But  I  can't  see  his  freckles." 

"  Well,  he's  got  'em.  Little  yellow  ones, 
spattered  out  all  over  him." 

"But  if  I  had  eyes  like  you,  I  shouldn't 
need  any  dog.  I  could  go  about  the  streets 
alone." 


THE    FRECKLED    DOQ.  Ill 

"  Well,  I  don't  like  to  go  'bout  the  streets 
alone;  I  want  my  own  brother  Ilollis." 

"I  hope  you  haven't  got  lost,  little 
dear  ?" 

"No,"  laughed  Fly,  gayly;  "I  didn't  get 
lost !  But  I  don't  know  where  nobody  is  ! 
And  there  don't  nobody  know  where  I 
am!" 

The  blind  girl  took  Fly's  little  hand 
tenderly  in  hers. 

"  Come,  turn  down  this  street  with  me, 
and  tell  me  all  about  it." 

Fly  trudged  along,  prattling  merrily,  for 
about  a  minute :  then  she  drew  away. 
"'Tisn't  a  nice  place;  I  don't  want  to  go 
there." 

A  look  of  pain  crossed  the  blind  girl's 
face. 

"No,  I  dare  say  you  don't.  It  isn't 
much  of  a  place  for  folks  with  silk  bon 
nets  on." 


112  LITTLE    FOLKS    ASTBAY. 

"You  can't  see  my  bonnet;  you  can't 
see  anything,  you're  blind-eyed;  but/' said 
Fly,  glancing  sharply  around,  "  it  isn't 
pretty  here,  at  all ;  and  there's  a  dead  cat 
right  in  the  street/' 

"  Yes,  I  think  likely." 

"And  there's  a  boy.  I  spect  he  frowed 
the  cat  out  the  window ;  he  hasn't  nuffin 
on  but  dirty  doe's." 

"  Do  you  see  some  steps  ?"  said  the 
blind  girl,  putting  her  hand  out  cautious 
ly.  "Don't  fall  down." 

"  I  shan't  fall  down ;  I'm  going  home." 

"0,  don't  child;  you  must  come  with 
me.  My  mother  will  take  care  of  you." 

"  I  don't  want  nobody's  mother  to  take 
'are  o'  me ;  I've  got  a  mamma  myself!" 

"How  little  you  know!"  said  the  blind 
girl,  thinking  aloud;  "how  lucky  it  is  I 
found  you!  and  0,  dear,  how  I  wish  I 


THE   FRECKLED    DOG.  113 

could   see!     You'll   slip    away   in   spite   of 
me." 

But  Flyaway  allowed  herself  to  be  drawn 
along,  step  by  step,  partly  because  she 
liked  the  "  freckled  dog/'  and  partly  be 
cause  she  had  not  ceased  being  amused  by 
the  droll  sight  of  a  person  walking  with 
closed  eyes. 

"What's  the  name  of  you,  girl?" 

"  Maria." 

" Maria?  So  was  my  mamma;  her  name 
was  Maria,  when  she  was  a  little  girl.  O, 
look,  there's  another  boy;  don't  you  see 
him?  Up  high,  in  that  house.  Got  a  big 
box  with  a  string  to  it." 

A. very  rough-looking  boy  was  standing 
at  a  third-story  window,  lowering  a  band 
box  by  a  clothes-line.  As  Fly  watched 
the  box  slowly  coming  down,  the  boy 
called  out, — 
8 


114  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"Get  in,  little  un,  and  I'll  give  you  a 
free  ride." 

"0,  no — 0,  no;  I  don't  dass  to." 

"Yes,  yes;  go  in,  lemons,"  said  the  boy, 
choking  with  laughter,  as  he  saw  the  child's 
horror.  "If  you  don't  do  it,  by  cracky, 
I'll  come  down  and  fetch  you." 

At  this,  Fly  was  frightened  nearly  out 
of  her  senses,  and  ran  so  fast  that  the  dog 
could  scarcely  have  kept  up  with  her,  even 
if  he  had  not  had  a  blind  mistress  pulling 
him  back. 

"0,  where  are  you?"  exclaimed  Maria. 
" Don't  run  away  from  me, — don't!" 

"He's  a-gon  to  kill  me  in  two,"  cried 
Flyaway,  stopping  for  breath f  "he's  a-gon 
to  kill  me  in  two-oo ! " 

"No,  he  isn't,  dear!  It's  only  Izzy  Paul. 
He  couldn't  catch  you,  if  he  tried.  He's 
lame,  and  goes  on  crutches." 


THE    FRECKLED    DOGL  115 

"But  he  said  a  swear  word, — yes  lie, 
did,"  sobbed  the  child,  never  doubting  that 
a  boy  who  could  swear  was  capable  of  mur 
der,  though  he  had  neither  hands  nor  feet. 

"  Stop,  now,"  said  Maria,  clutching  Fly 
as  if  she  had  been  a  spinning  top.  "  This 
is  my  house.  Mother,  mother,  here's  a 
little  girl;  catch  her — hold  her — keep 
her!" 

"Me?  "What  should  I  catch  a  little  girl 
for?"  said  Mrs.  Brooks,  a  faded  woman 
with  a  tired  face,  and  a  nose  that  moved 
up  and  down  when  she  talked.  She  had 
been  standing  at  the  door  of  their  tumble 
down  tenement,  looking  for  her  daughter, 
and  was  surprised  to  see  her  bringing  a 
strange  child  with  her.  It  was  not  often 
that  well-dressed  people  wandered  into  that 
dirty  alley. 

"The    poor    little    thing    has    got    lost, 


116  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTEAY. 

mother.  Perhaps  you  can  find  out  where 
she  came  from.  I  didn't  ask  her  any 
questions;  it  was  as  much  as  I  could  do 
to  keep  up  with  her." 

Maria  put  her  hand  on  her  side.  Fast 
walking  always  tired  her,  for  she  was  afraid 
every  moment  of  falling. 

They  had  to  go  down  a  flight  of  stairs 
to  get  into  the  house;  and  after  they  got 
there  Fly  looked  around  in  dismay. 

"I  don't  want  to  stay  in  the  stable," 
she  murmured.  Indeed  it  was  not  half  as 
nice  as  the  place  where  her  father  kept  his 
horse. 

"But  this  is  where  we  have  to  live," 
sighed  Maria. 

"Have  things  to  eat?"  asked  the  little 
stranger,  in  a  solemn  whisper. 

There  were  a  few  chairs  with  broken 
backs,  a  few  shelves  with  clean  dishes, 


THE    FRECKLED    DOG.  117 

a  few  children  with  hungry  faces.  In  one 
corner  was  a  clumsy  bedstead,  and  in  a 
tidy  bed  lay  a  pale  man. 

"  Who've  you  got  there,  Maria  ?"  said 
he.  "  Bring  her  along,  and  stick  her  up 
on  the  bed." 

"  Don't  be  afraid,"  said  Mrs.  Brooks  ;  "  it's 
only  pa;  wouldn't  the  little  girl  like  to 
talk  to  him  ?  He's  sick." 

Flyaway  was  not  at  all  afraid,  for  the 
man  smiled  pleasantly,  and  did  not  look  as 
if  he  would  hurt  anybody.  Mrs.  Brooks 
set  her  on  the  bed,  and  Maria,  afraid  of 
losing  her,  held  her  by  one  foot.  The 
children  all  crowded  around  to  see  the 
little  lady  in  a  silk  bonnet  holding  a 
button-hole  bouquet  to  her  bosom. 

"Ain't  she  a  ducky  dilver!"  said  the 
oldest  boy.  "  Pa'll  be  pleased,  for  he  don't 
see  things  much.  Has  to  keep  abed  all  the 
time." 


118  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

Mr.  Brooks  tried  to  smile,  and  Flyaway 
whispered  to  Maria,  with  sudden  pity, — 

"  Sorry  he's  sick.  Has  he  got  to  stay 
sick?  Can't  you  find  the  camphor  bottle?" 

"  0,  father,  she  thinks  if  yen  had  some 
camphor  to  smell  of,  'twould  cure  you." 

Then  they  all  laughed,  and  Fly  timidly 
offered  the  sick  man  her  flowers. 

"  What,  that  pretty  posy  for  me  ?  Bless 
you,  baby,  they'll  do  me  a  sight  more  good 
than  camfire !" 

"  There,"  said  Maria,  joyfully,  "  new  pa  is 
pleased ;  I  know  by  the  sound  of  his  voice. 
Poor  pa !  only  think,  little  girl,  a  stick  of 
timber  fell  on  him,  and  lamed  him  for 
life !" 

"  Yes,"  said  Bennie,  "  the  lower  part  of 
him  is  as  limber  as  a  rag." 

"She  don't  sense  a  word  you  say,"  re 
marked  Mrs.  Brooks,  shaking  up  a  pillow, 


THE    FRECKLED    DOG.  119 

"  See  what  we  can  get  out  of  her.     What's 
your  name,  dear  ?" 

"Katie  Clifford." 

"  Where  do  you  live  ?/ 

"  I  have  been  borned  in  Nindiana." 

Fly  spoke  with  some  pride.  She  con 
sidered  her  birth  an  honor  to  the  state. 

"  But  where  did  you  come  from,  Katie  ? 
That's  what  we  mean." 

"  I  earned  from  heaven/'  said  the  child, 
with  one  of  her  wise  looks. 

"Beats  all,  don't  she?"  cried  Mr.  Brooks, 
admiringly.  "Looks  like  an  angel,  I  de 
clare  for't.  -Did  you  just  drop  down  out 
of  the  sky?" 

"No,  sir,"  answered  Flyaway,  folding 
her  little  hands  as  if  she  were  saying  her 
prayers;  "I  earned  down  when  I  was  a 
baby." 

"That's  what  makes  your  hair  so  goldy" 


120  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY, 

said  Bemrie.  "  Mother,  did  you  ever  see 
such  eyes?  Say,  did  you  ever?  So  soft, 
and  kinder  shiny,  too." 

"Children,  don't  stare  at  her;  it  makes 
her  uneasy." 

"/  can't  stare  at  her,"  said  Maria,  bit 
terly.  "I  suppose  you  don't  mean  me, 
mother." 

Mrs.  Brooks  only  answered  her  poor 
daughter  by  a  kiss. 

"  Well,  little  Katie,  after  you  were  born 
in  Ninduma,  you  came  to  New  York. 
When  did  you  come  ?" 

"One  of  these  other  days  I  earned  here 
with  Hollis." 

«  Who's  Hollis?" 

"He's  my  own  brother.  Got  a  new  cap. 
Had  his  hair  cut." 

"Who  did  you  come  to  New  York  to 
see?'7 


THE   FRECKLED   DOG.  121 

"  My  auntie*" 

"Her  auntie!  A  great  deal  of  satisfac 
tion  we  are  likely  to  get  out  of  this  child," 
said  Mr.  Brooks,  laughing.  He  had  not 
laughed  before  for  a  week. 

"  What's  your  auntie's  name  ?  " 

"Aunt  Madge." 

"Is  she  married?" 

"  0,  yes ;  and  so's  Uncle  'Gustus.  Mar 
ried  together,  and  live  together,  just  the 
same/' 

"  Uncle  'Gustus  who  ?  Now  we'll  come 
at  it !  " 

"  Ailing/*  replied  Fly,  her  quick  eyes 
roving  about  the  room,  for  she  was  tired 
of  these  questions. 

"Allen,  Augustus  Allen !"  said  Mr. 
Brooks,  in  surprise ;  "  I  wonder  if  there 
can  be  two  of  them.  Tell  me,  child,  how 
does  he  look  ? " 


122  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"  Don't  look  like  you,"  replied  Fly,  after 
a  keen  survey  of  Mr.  Brooks.  "Your 
face  is  pulled  away  down  long,  like  that " 
(stretching  her  hand  out  straight).  "  Uncle 
'Gustus's  face  is  squeezed  up  short "  (dou 
bling  her  hand  into  a  ball). 

"I'll  warrant  it  is  the  colonel  himself," 
said  Mrs.  Brooks,  smiling  at  the  descrip 
tion. 

"  Yes,  that's  the  name  of  him ;  the  '  ker- 
nilV  the  name  of  him." 

"Is  it  possible!"  said  Mr.  Brooks,  look 
ing  very  much  pleased, 

"Uncle  'Gustus  has  curly  hair  on  his 
cheeks,  on  his  mouf,  all  round.  Not  little 
prickles,  sticking  out  like  needles." 

"  0,  you  girl ! "  said  Bennie,  frowning  at 
Fly.  "You  mustn't  laugh  at  my  pa's 
beard.  There's  a  man  comes  in,  some 
times,  and  shaves  him  nice ;  but  now  the 
man's  gone  to  Newark." 


THE    FRECKLED    DOG.  123 

"  Is  it  possible,"  repeated  Mrs.  Brooks, 
taking  the  child's  hand,  "  that  this  is  Colo 
nel  Allen's  little  niece,  and  rny  Maria  found 
her!" 

"  Your  Maria  didn't  find  me,"  said  Fly, 
decidedly;  "  I  founded  Maria." 

"So  she  did,  pa.  The  first  thing  I 
knew,  I  heard  somebody  calling,  '  Dog 
gie,  doggie/  in  such  a  sweet  voice;  and 
then  I  looked — no,  of  course  I  couldn't 
look." 

Here  the  discouraged  look  came  over 
Maria's  mouth,  and  she  said  no  more. 

"  There,  there,  cheer  up,  daughter,"  said 
Mr.  Brooks,  with  tears  in  his  eyes ;  "  I 
was  only  going  on  to  say,  it  is  passing 
strange  that  mny  of  our  family  should  rim 
afoul  of  one  of  the  colonel's  folks/' 

"  It's  the  Lord's  doings ;  I  haven't  tha 
slightest  doubt  of  it,"  said  Mrs.  Brooks, 


124  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

earnestly.      "You    know  what  I've    been 
saying  to  you,  pa." 

"There,  there,  ma'am,  don't,"  said  Mr. 
Brooks ;  "  don't  go  to  raising  false  hopes. 
You  know  I'm  too  proud  to  beg  of  any 
body's  folks." 

"  Why,  pa,  I  shouldn't  call  it  begging 
just  to  tell  Colonel  Allen  how  you  are  sit 
uated  !  Do  you  suppose,  if  he  knew  the 
facts  of  the  case,  he'd  be  willing  to  let 
you  suffer  ?  Such  a  faithful  man  as  you 
used  to  be  to  work." 

"No,  I  think  it's  likely  he  wouldn't. 
He's  got  more  heart  than  some  rich  folks ; 
but  I  hain't  no  sort  of  claim  on  the  colonel, 
if  I  did  help  build  his  house.  And  then, 
ma'am,  you  know  I've  been  kind  o' 
hopin'— " 

"Guess  I'll  go  now,   and  find   Hollis," 


THE   FRECKLED    DOG.  125 

said  Fly,  slipping  down  from  the  bed,  for 
the  talk  did  not  interest  her. 

"  0,  but  I  want  to  go  with  you,  Katie," 
said  Mrs.  Brooks,  coaxingly.  "  Bennie,  you 
amuse  her,  while  I  change  my  dress." 


126  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

MARIA'S  MOTHER. 

"I  KNOW  your  uncle  must  feel  dread 
fully  to  lose  you;  but  never  mind — :he'H 
see  you  soon,"  said  Mr.  Brooks. 

"0,  Uncle  'Gustus  isn't  there." 

"  Not  there  ?"  said  Mrs.  Brooks,  turning 
round  from  the  cracked  looking-glass. 
"  Where  then?" 

"  0,  he's  gone  off." 

"  Gone  off?  "Why,  pa,  ain't  that  too 
bad?  I'm  right  up  and  down  disappointed. 
But,  then,  the  colonel  has  a  wife  ;  I  can 
go  to  see  her,  you  know ;  and  I'll  tell  her 
just  how  you're  situ — " 

"  My  Aunt  Madge  is  gone  off,  too." 


MARIA'S  MOTHER.  127 

"  You  don't  say  so  ! " 

"And  my  brother  Hollis  is  gone/' 

"  This  is  a  funny  piece  of  work  if  it's 
true,"  said  Mr.  Brooks,  with  another  gen 
uine  laugh ;  "  you'd  better  ask  her  a  few 
more  questions  before  you  start  out.  Who 
else  is  gone?  Have  they  shut  the  house 
up?" 

"  Yes,  sir;  shut  it  right  up  tight." 

"  Nobody  in  it,  at  all  ?  " 

"  No,  only  the  men  and  women.  Prudy's 
gone,  and  Dotty  Dimple's  gone,  and  I'm 
gone." 

"  Only  the  men  and  women,  she  says. 
That  must  be  the  servants.  So  the  house 
must  be  open,  pa.  At  any  rate,  I  shall 
take  her.  Say  by-bye,  my  pretty,  and 
we'll  be  starting." 

Fly  was  very  glad  to  go,  but  Maria 
clung  to  her  fondly,  and  Bennie  ran  after 


128  LITTLE   FOtKS   ASTRAY. 

her  almost  to  Broadway,  where  Mrs. 
Brooks  took  a  Fifth  Avenue  stage.  She 
knew  Colonel  Allen's  house  very  well,  for  • 
she  had  seen  it  more  than  once,  while  it 
was  in  process  of  building.  That  was  two 
or  three  years  ago,  when  her  husband  was 
well,  and  the  family  lived  very  comforta 
bly  on  Thirty-third  Street.  She  sighed  as 
she  thought  how  different  it  was  now.  Mr. 
Brooks  would  never  be  able  to  work  any 
more ;  they  hardly  had  food  enough  to  eat, 
and  poor  Maria  had  lost  her  eyesight. 

"  Here  we  are,  little  Katie,"  said  she. 

But  the  child  did  not  wait  to  be  helped 
out;  she  danced  down  the  steps,  and  would 
have  ffown  across  the  street,  if  Mrs.  Brooks 
had  not  caught  her. 

"I  see  it — I  see  it;  my  auntie's  house. 
But  there  isn't  nobody  to  it." 

The  man  who  met  them  at  the  door  was 


MARIA'S  MOTHER.  129 

so  surprised  and  delighted  to  see  Fly,  that 
he  forgot  his  manners,  and  did  not  ask 
Mrs.  Brooks  in. 

" Bless  us,  the  baby's  found!"  cried  he, 
and  ran  to  spread  the  news. 

Aunt  Madge  was  walking  the  parlor 
floor,  and  Horace  sitting  on  the  sofa,  as 
rigid  as  the  marble  elf  Puck,  just  over  his 
head.  Prudy  and  Dotty  had  joined  hands, 
and  were  crying  softly  on  the  rug.  As  the 
police  had  been  notified  of  Fly's  loss,  all 
the  family  had  to  do  was  to  wait.  A  ser 
vant  was  at  the  nearest  telegraph  office, 
with  a  horse  and  carriage,  and  at  the  first 
tidings  would  drive  home  and  report. 

The  words  "  The  baby's  found "  rang 
through  the  house  like  a  peal  of  bells.  In 
an  instant  Flyaway  Eunaway  was  clasped 
in  everybody's  arms,  and  wet  with  every 
body's  tears. 

9 


130  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"  Thought  I'd  come  back,"  said  the  little 

truant,  peeping  up  at  her  agitated  friends 

with   some   surprise ;    "  thought    I'd   come 

back  and  get  my  skipt !  " 

Then  they  exclaimed,  in  chorus, — 

"  Topknot    shall    have   her    skipt !     The 

blessed  baby  !     The  darling  old  Fly  !  " 
And  Dotty  wound  up  by  saying, — 
"  Why,  you  see,  we  thought  you's  dead ! " 
Flyaway,  who  had  at  first  been  very  much 

astonished  at  the  fuss  made  over  her,  now 

looked  deeply  offended. 

"Who  said  Ps  dead?    What— a  — drefful 

—lie!" 

"  0,  nobody  said  so,  Fly ;  only  we  thought 

p'rhaps  you  was ;    and  what  would  we  do 

without  you,  you  know?" 

"Why,   if  I's  dead,"  said  Fly,   untying 

her    bonnet    strings,    "  then    the    funy-yal 

would  come  round    and  take   me ;    that's 

all." 


MARIA'S  MOTHER  131 

"We  are  most  grateful  to  you/'  said 
Aunt  Madge,  turning  to  Mrs.  Brooks,  "  for 
bringing  home  this  lost  child;  but  do  tell 
us  where  you  found  her/' 

Then  Mrs.  Brooks  related  all  she  knew 
of  Fly's  wanderings,  the  little  one  putting  in 
her  own  explanations. 

"I  didn'  be  lost/'  said  she  sharply.  "  I 
feel  jus'  like  frettin',  when  you  say  I's  lost. 
'Tis  the  truly  truth;  I's  walking  on  the 
streets,  and  a  naughty  woman,  she's  got 
my  hangerfiss — had  ashes  roses  on  it." 

"Yes,  I  put  some  otto  of  rose  on 
it  this  morning,"  said  Prudy.  "  "What 
a  shame ! " 

"And  I  gave  my  flowers  to  the  sick 
man.  He  was  on  the  bed,  with  a  blue 
bed-kilt.  A  girl  name  o'  Maria,  tookened 
me  home.  The  seeingness  is  all  gone  out 
of  her  eyes,  so  she  can't  see/' 


132  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTKAY. 

"How  long  has  your  husband  been 
sick?"  asked  Mrs.  Allen  of  the  woman, 
while  she  was  taking  lunch  in  the  dining- 
room.  "Did  you  tell  me  he  knew  Colonel 
Allen  ?" 

Mrs.  Brooks  dropped  her  knife  and  fork; 
but  her  lips  trembled-  so  she  could  not 
speak.  Flyaway,  who  sat  in  Horace's  lap, 
eating  ginger-snaps,  exclaimed,  "She  wants 
some  perjerves,  auntie.'  She  don't  get  no 
perjerves,  nor  nuffin  nice  to  her  house." 

" '  Sh !  "  whispered  Horace.  The  woman 
looked  so  respectable  and  well  bred,  that 
it  seemed  a  great  rudeness  to  allude  to  her 
poverty. 

But  Mrs.  Brooks  drank  some  water,  and 
then  answered  Aunt  Madge,  calmly, — 

"I'm  not  ashamed  of  being  poor,  Mrs. 
Allen ;  it's  no  disgrace,  for  there  never  was 
an  honester  man  than  my  husband,  nor 


MARIA'S  MOTHER.  .      133 

none  that  worked  harder,  till  a  beam  fell 
on  him  from  the  roof  of  a  house,  two 
years  ago,  and  he  lost  the  use  of  his  limbs. 
— Yes,  ma'am ;  he  did  use  to  know  your 
husband.  He  was  one  of  the  workmen 
that  helped  build  this  house.  I  came  and 
looked  on  when  he  was  setting  these  very 
doors." 

"  What  is  his  name  ?  "  asked  Aunt  Madge, 
looking  very  much  interested,  and  taking 
out  her  note-book  and  pencil.  "  What 
street  and  number  ?  " 

"  Cyrus  Brooks,  Number  Blank,  Blank 
Street,  ma'am.  Before  the  accident,  we 
lived  on  Thirty-third  Street,  in  very  good 
shape ;  but,  little  by  little,  we  were  obliged 
to  sell  off,  and  finally  had  to  move  into 
pretty  snug  quarters.  But  we've  always 
got  enough  to  eat,  such  as  it  was,"  added 
the  good  woman,  trying  not  to  show  how 
much  she  enjoyed  her  lunch. 


134  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"I  am  very  glad  Providence  has  sent 
you  here,  Mrs.  Brooks/'  said  Aunt  Madge, 
warmly.  "  I  know  Colonel  Allen  will  seek 
you  out  when  he  comes  home  next  week ; 
but  I  shall  not  wait  for  that ;  I  shall  write 
him  this  very  night." 

Mrs.  Brooks'  heart  was  so  full  that  she 
had  to  cry  into  a  coarse  purple  handker 
chief  of  Bennie's,  which  happened  to  be 
in  her  pocket,  and  felt  very  much  ashamed 
because  she  could  not  find  her  voice  again, 
or  any  words  in  which  to  tell  her  gratitude. 
It  was  just  as  well,  though.  Mrs.  Allen 
knew  words  were  not  everything.  It  gave 
her  pleasure  to  fill  a  huge  basket  with  nice 
things — wine  and  jelly  for  the  sick  man, 
plain  food  for  the  family,  and  a  pretty 
woolen  dress  for  Maria,  which  had  been 
intended  for  Mrs.  Fixfax,  the  housekeeper. 

The  children  looked  on  delighted,  while 


MARIA'S  MOTHER.  135 

the  basket  was  filled  with  these  articles, 
then  passed  over  to  Nathaniel,  who  was 
going  home  with  Mrs.  Brooks.  It  was 
amusing  to  watch  Nathaniel,  with  the  mon 
strous  burden  in  his  hands  trying  to  help 
Mrs.  Brooks  down  the  front  steps ;  for  Aunt 
Madge  was  not  enough  of  a  fine  lady  to 
send  the  pair  around  by  the  servants' 
door. 

It  was  pleasant,  too,  to  watch  Mrs. 
Brooks's  happy  face,  half  hidden  in  the 
hood  of  her  water  proof  cloak,  which  kept 
puffing  out,  in  the  high  wind,  like  a  sail. 
She  was  going  home  to  tell  her  husband 
the  Lord  had  heard  her  prayers,  and  she 
had  found  a  friend. 

"And  you  may  depend  I  never  talked 
so  easy  to  anybody  in  my  life,  pa;"  this 
was  what  she  thought  she  should  say.  "  I 
didn't  have  to  beg.  Mrs.  Allen  is  one  of 


136  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

the  Lord's  own ;  I  saw  it  the  minute  I 
clapped  my  eyes  on  her  face." 

"  I  am  going  to  see  that  woman  to 
morrow,  and  ask  some  questions  about  her 
blind  daughter/'  said  Aunt  Madge,  turning 
away  from  the  window. 

"  Ask  'bout  her  nose,  too." 

"  Whose  nose,  Fly  ? " 

"  The  woman's.  It  keeps  a-moving  when 
she  talks." 

"There,  who  else  noticed  that?"  ex 
claimed  Horace,  tossing  his  young  sister 
aloft.  "  It  takes  Fly,  with  her  little  eye, 
to  see  things." 

"But  I  didn't  ask  her  nuffin  'bout  it, 
though,  Horace  Clifford.  God  made  her 
so,  with  a  wire  in." 

Everybody  smiled  at  the  notion  of  Mrs. 
Brooks  being  a  wax  doll. 

"  What  a  queer  day  it  has  been !  "  said 


MARIA'S  MOTHER.  137 

Prudy.  "  Nothing  but  hide  and  seek.  "We'll 
all  keep  together  next  time,  and  lock  hands 
tight." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Dotty,  quickly;  "but 
look  here ;  don't  you  think  'twould  be  safer 
not  to  let  Fly  go  with  us?  She  was  the 
one  that  made  all  the  fuss." 

"  Want  to  know  if  she  was,"  said  Hor 
ace,  slyly.  "  Guess  there  are  two  sides  to 
that  story." 

"  At  any  rate,"  struck  in  Aunt  Madge, 
"  Fly  was  the  one  that  did  the  most  busi 
ness.  You  went  round  doing  good  — 
didn't  you,  dear  ?" 

"Little  city  missionary/'  said  Horace. 

Whereupon   Miss  Fly  modestly  dropped 
her  head   on  her  brother's   shoulder.     She 
concluded  she  had  done  something  wonder 
ful  in  running  after  a  dog. 
"  On  the  whole,"  continued  auntie,"  we've 


138  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

all  had  a  very  hard  time.  It's  only  three 
o'clock;  but  seems  to  me  the  day  has  been 
forty  hours  long.  Let  us  rest,  now,  and 
have  a  quiet  little-  evening,  and  go  to  bed 
early." 


FIVE   MAKING  A   CALL.  139 


CHAPTER   X. 

FIVE    MAKING   A    CALL. 

THE  next  morning  everybody  felt  fresh, 
and  ready  for  new  adventures. 

"  All  going  but  the  cat/'  said  Fly,  never 
doubting  that  her  own  company  was  most 
desirable. 

"Look  up  in  my  eyes,  little  Topknot 
with  the  blue  bonnet  on.  Will  you  run 
away  from  brother  Hollis  again  ?" 

"  Not  if  you  don't  take  my  skipt,"  re 
plied  Fly,  looking  as  innocent  as  a  spring 
violet. 

"And  look  up  in  my  eyes,  Horace  Clif 
ford.  Will  you  run  away  from  Cousin  Dot 
ty,  again?"  said  Miss  Dimple,  in  a  hurry 


140  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

to  speak  before  Aunt  Madge  came  up  to 
them,  and  before  Horace  had  time  for  a 
joke. 

"I   didn't    run   away   from    you,  young 

lady,  but  I  ran  after  you,  if  I  remember,'' 

said  Horace,  dryly.     "  I  don't  mean  to  pur- 

•  sue  you   with   my  attentions  to-day.     You 

seem  to  be  able  to  take  care  of  yourself/' 

"  Look,"  cried  Aunt  Madge,  coming  up 
to  them  with  Prudy  ;  "  did  you  ever  before 
see  a  span  of  horses  with  a  dog  running 
between  them  T' 

"Never,"  said  Doty;  "what  splendid 
horses  !  and  don't  the  dog  have  to  trot,  to 
keep  up  ?  How  do  you  suppose  he  hap 
pened  to  get  in  there  T' 

"  0,  he  has  been  trained  to  it;  dogs 
often  are.  Now,  my  young  friends,  it 
seems  we  have  started  for  Brooklyn  again ; 
but  on  our  way  to  Fulton  Ferry,  I  would 


FIVE    MAKING   A   CALL.  141 

like  to  stop  and  see  the  Brooks  family. 
We  must  all  go  together,  though.  '  United 
we  stand,  divided  we  fall.' ' 

"That's  so,"  said  Horace,  as  they  entered 
the  stage.  "  But,  auntie,  do  you  have 
perfect  faith  in  the  story  that  woman  tells  ? 
Perhaps  her  husband  is  only  just  lazy,  and 
her  daughter  shams  blindness.  You  know 
what  humbugs  some  of  'em  are.  I've  read 
there's  something  they  rub  over  their  eyes, 
that  gives  'em  the  appearance  of  being  as 
blind  as  a  bat." 

Prudy  looked  up  at  Horace  with  admira 
tion  and  respect.  He  spoke  like  a  person 
of  deep  wisdom  and  wide  experience. 

"  We  will  see  for  ourselves  what  we 
think  of  the  fami7y,"  said  Aunt  Madge. 

"H~ow,"  said  she,  after  they  had  ridden 
a  mile  or  two,  "  we  must  get  out  here,  and 
walk  a  few  blocks  to  the  house.  Fly,  hold 
your  brother's  hand  tight." 


142  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"  There's  the  chamer  where  the  boy  lives 
that  says  swear  wTords ;  and  there's  the  boy, 
ahind  the  window." 

"  Have  a  free  ride,  little  girl  ?"  shouted 
Izzy  Paul,  laughing ;  for  he  remembered 
faces  as  well  as  Fly  did,  and  saw  at  once 
that  it  was  the  same  child  he  had  fright 
ened  so  the  day  before.  But  Fly  never 
knew  fear  where  Horace  was;  she  clung 
to  him,  and  peeped  out  boldly  between  her 
fingers. 

"When  they  went  "  down  cellow,"  as  she 
called  it,  into  Mr.  Brooks's  house,  Aunt 
Madge  was  surprised  to  see  how  bare  it 
looked.  But  Dotty  Dimple  need  not  have 
held  her  skirts  so  tightly  about  her,  and 
brushed  her  elbow  so  carefully  when  it 
hit  against  the  wall;  for  the  house  was 
as  clean  as  hands  could  make  it. 

"  Mrs.  Brooks,  I  hope   you  will  forgive 


FIVE    MAKING   A   CALL.  143 

me  for  coming  down  upon  you  with  this 
little  army/'  said  Mrs.  Allen,  with  such  a 
cheery  smile  that  the  sick  man  on  the  bed 
felt  as  if  a  flood  of  pure  sunshine  had  burst 
into  the  room.  He  was  so  tired  of  lying 
there,  day  after  day,  like  a  great  rag  baby, 
and  so  glad  to  see  anybody,  especially  the 
good  lady  wrho,  his  wife  said,  was  "  so  easy 
to  talk  to  r 

"Auntie,  look !  see  the  freckled  doggie; 
and  there's  my  flowers,  true's  you  live/' 
cried  Flyaway. 

"  Yes,  pa  wanted  them  in  a  vial,  close 
to  his  bed;  it's  the  first  he's  seen  this 
winter,"  said  Maria,  stroking  Fly  as  if  she 
had  been  a  kitten. 

"You  may  be  sure,  little  lady,  it  will 
be  as  I  said ;  they'll  cure  me  full  as  quick 
as  camphire.  And,  thank  the  Lord,  I  can 
see  as  well  as  smell,"  said  Mr.  Brooks, 


144  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

with  a  tender  glance  at  Maria,  which  made 
Horace  feel  ashamed  of  himself.  The  idea 
of  that  poor  child's  rubbing  anything  into 
her  eyes  ?  Why,  she  looked  like  a  wound 
ed  bird  that  had  been  out  in  a  storm.  Her 
face  was  really  almost  beautiful,  but  so  sad 
that  you  could  not  see  it  without  a  feeling 
of  pity. 

"She  looks  as  if  she  was  walking  irfher 
sleep/'  thought  Prudy,  and  turned  away 
to  hide  a  tear;  for  somehow  there  was  a 
chord  in  her  heart  that  thrilled  strangely. 
That  "slow  winter"  came  back  to  her  with 
a  rush,  and  she  was  sure  she  knew  how 
Maria  felt. 

"  She  is  blind,  and  I  was  lame ;  but  it 
is  the  same  kind  of  a  feeling.  0,  how  I 
wish  I  could  help  her!" 

Dotty  was  as  sorry  for  Maria  as  she 
knew  how  to  be,  but  she  could  not  be 


FIVE    MAKING   A    CALL.  145 

as  sorry  as  Prudy  was;  for  she  had 
never  had  any  trouble  greater  than  a  sore 
throat. 

"I  don't  see  why  the  tears  don't  come 
into  my  eyes  as  easy  as  they  do  into  Pru- 
dy's,"  thought  she,  trying  to  squeeze  out 
a  salt  drop ;  "  Mrs.  Brooks'll  think  I  don't 
care  a  speck;  but  I  do  care." 

As  for  wee  Fly,  she  took  Maria's  blind 
ness  to  heart  about  as  much  as  she  did 
the  murder  of  the  Hebrew  children  off  in 
Judea. 

"  Pitiful  'bout  her  seeingness;  but  I 
wished  I  had  such  a  beauful  dog  !  " 

Aunt  Madge  was  struck  with  the  ex 
alted  expression  of  Maria's  face.  The  child 
was  only  thirteen,  but  suffering  had  made 
her  look  much  older. 

"My  child,"  said  she,  putting  her  arm 
around  the  little  girl,  and  drawing  her 
10 


146  LITTLE  EOLKS   ASTHAY. 

towards  her,  "I  know  you  see  a  great 
deal  with  your  mind,  even  though  your 
eyes  are  shut.  Now,  do  tell  me  all  about 
your  misfortune,  and  how  it  happened,  for 
I  came  on  purpose  to  hear.'5 

"  Yes,  we  earned  to  purpose  to  hear," 
said  Fly,  from  the  foot-board  of  the  bed, 
where  she  had  perched  and  prattled  every 
moment  since  she  came  in.  "I  founded 
Maria,  and  then  I  went  up  to  her,  and 
says  I,  '  Doggie,  doggie  ! '  ' 

"  That  was  a  pretty  way  to  speak  to  her, 
I  should  think,"  said  Dotty ;  "  but  can't 
you  just  please  to  hush  while  auntie  is 
talking  ? " 

"As  near  as  1  can  tell  the  story,"  said 
Mrs.  Brooks,  rattling  the  poor  old  coal- 
stove, — for  she  always  had  to  be  moving 
something  else,  as  well  as  her  nose,  when 
she  talked, — "  she  lost  her  sight  by  study- 


FIVE   MAKING   A   GALL.  147 

ing  too  hard,  and  then  getting  cold  in 
her  eyes/' 

"She  was  always  a  master  hand  to 
study,"  put  in  Mr.  Brooks. 

Maria  looked  as  if  she  wanted  to  run 
and  hide.  She  did  not  like  to  have  her 
father  praise  her  before  people. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Brooks,"  setting  a  chair 
straight;  "and  by  and  by  the  leds  began 
to  draw  together,  and  she  couldn't  keep 
'em  open;  and  there  was  such  a  pain  in 
her  eyes,  too,  that  I  had  to  be  up  nights, 
bathing  'em  in  all  kinds  of  messes." 

"Don't  her  nose  jiggle?"  whispered  Fly 
to  Horace. 

"Of  course  you  took  her  to  a  good 
physician?" 

"Well,  yes;  we  thought  he  was  good. 
"We  went  to  three,  off  and  on,  but  she 
kept  growing  worse  and  worse.  It  was 


148  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

about  the  time  her  father  was  hurt,  and 
we  spent  an  awful  sight  oil  her,  till  we 
couldn't  spend  any  more," 

"And  it  wras  all  a  cheat  and  a  swindle," 
exclaimed  Mr.  Brooks,  indignantly.  "  We'd 
better  have  spent  the  money  for  a  horse 
whip,  and  whipped  them  doctors  with  it! " 

"Don't,  pa,  don't!  You  see,  Mrs.  Al 
len,  he  gets  so  excited  about  it  he  don't 
know  what  he  says." 

"I  wonder  you  did  not  take  her  to  the 
City  Hospital,  Mrs.  Brooks.  There  she 
could  be  treated  free  of  expense." 

"The  fact  is,  we  didn't  dare  to,"  re 
plied  Mrs.  Brooks,  taking  up  an  old  shoe 
of  Bennie's,  and  beginning  to  brush  it; 
"there  are  folks  that  have  told  us  it  ain't 
safe;  they  try  experiments  on  poor  folks." 

"  0,  I  don't  believe  you  need  fear  the 
City  Hospital,"  said  Mrs.  Allen;  "the  phy- 


FIVE    MAKING   A    CALL.  149 

sicians  there  are  honest  men,  and  among  the 
most  skillful  in  the  country." 

"But  that's  our  feeling  on  the  subject, 
ma'am,  you  see,"  spoke  up  Mr.  Brooks, 
so  decidedly,  that  Aunt  Madge  saw  it  was 
of  no  use  to  say  any  more  about  it.  "  We 
don't  want  her  eyes  put  out;  there  are 
times  when  she  can  just  see  a  little  glim 
mer,  and  we  want  to  save  all  there  is 
left." 

"  There  are  times  when  she  can  see  ? 
Then  there  must  be  hope,  Mr.  Brooks ! 
Let  me  take  her  to  Dr.  Blank;  he  can 
help  her  if  any  one  can.' 

"Well,  now,  I  take  it  you're  joking, 
Mrs.  Allen.  That  is  the  very  doctor  I 
wanted  her  to  see  in  the  first  place  ;  but 
they  do  say  he'd  ask  six  hundred  dollars 
for  looking  into  her  eyes  while  you'd  wink 
twice." 


150  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"  You  have  been  misinformed,  Mr, 
Brooks;  tie  never  asks  anything  of  people 
who  are  unable  to  pay  him.  But  even 
if  he  should  in  Maria's  case,  I  promise  to 
take  the  matter  into  my  own  hands,  and 
settle  the  bill  myself." 

"  Mother,  do  you  hear  what  she  says  ! " 
cried  Mr.  Brooks,  forgetting  himself,  and 
trying  to  sit  up  in  bed. 

But  his  \vife  had  broken  down,  and  was 
polishing  Bennie's  shoe  with  her  tears.  . 

"  0,  will  you  take  me  ?  Can  I  go  to 
that  doctor  ? "  cried  Maria,  forgetting  her 
timidity,  and  turning  her  sightless  eyes 
towards  Mrs.  Allen  with  a  joyful  look, 
which  seemed  to  glow  through  the  lids. 

"Yes,  dear  child,  I  will  take  you  with 
the  greatest  pleasure  in  life ;  but  remem 
ber,  I  don't  promise  you  can  be  cured. 
Come  with  your  mother,  to-morrow  morn- 


FIVE   MAKING   A   CALL.  151 

ing,  at  ten.  "Will  that  do,  Mrs.  Brooks? 
And  now,  good  by,  all.  Children,  we  must 
certainly  be  going." 

"God  bless  her,"  murmured  the  sick 
man,  as  the  little  party  passed  out. 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  she  was  an  angel  ?  " 
said  his  wife. 

"No,  mother;  it's  that  little  tot  that's 
the  'angel.'  The  Lord  sent  her  on  ahead 
to  spy  out  the  land;  and  afterwards  there 
comes  a  flesh-and-blood  woman  to  see  it 
laid  straight/' 

"  Pa  thinks  that  baby  is  a  spirit  made 
out  of  air,"  said  Maria,  laughing  in  high 
excitement.  "And,  mother,  don't  you 
really  believe  now  the  Lord  did  send  her, 
just  as  much  as  if  she  dropped  down  out  of 
the  sky  ? " 

"Yes,  I  hain't  a  doubt  of  it,  Maria, 
but  what  the  Lord  had  us  in  his  mind 


152  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

when  he  let  the  child  slip  off  and  get 
lost— Pa,  I'm  going  to  give  you  some  of 
that  blackberry  cordial  now:  you  look  all 
gone." 


THE   HEN-HOUSES.  153 


CHAPTER    XI. 

"THE  HEN-HOUSES." 

"While  the  Brooks  family  were  talking 
so  gratefully,  and  Maria  counting  over  the 
cookies  and  cups  of  jelly  for  the  twentieth 
time,  Fly,  was  holding  on  to  Horace's 
thumb,  saying,  as  she  skipped  along, — 

"  I  hope  the  doctor'll  take  a  knife,  and 
pick  Maria's  eyes  open,  so  she  can  see." 

"  Precious  little  you  care  whether  she 
can  see  or  not,"  said  Dotty.  "I  don't 
think  Fly  has  much  feeling,  —  do  you, 
Prudy  ?  — not  like  you  and  I,  I  mean  !" 

"  Pshaw  !  what  do  you  expect  of  such 
a  baby?"  said  Horace,  indignantly.  "You 


154  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

never  saw  a  child  so  full  of  pity  as  this 
one  is,  when  she  knows  what  to  be  sorry 
for,  But  a  great  deal  she  understands 
about  blindness  !  And  why  should  she  ?  — 
Look  here,  Topknot;  which  would  you 
rather  do  ?  Have  your  eyes  put  out,  and 
lots  of  candy  to  eat,  or,  your  .eyes  all 
good,  and  not  a  speck  of  candy  as  long  as 
you  live?" 

"I'd  rawer  have  the  candy  'thout  blind- 
eyed?" 

"But  supposing  you  couldn't  have  but 
one  ?" 

Fly  reflected  seriously  for  half  a  minute, 
and  then  answered, 

"I'd  rawer  have  the  candy  with  blind- 
eyed  !" 

"  There,  girls,  what  did  I  tell  you  ?" 

"  'Cause  I  could  eat  the  candy  athout 
looking,  you  know,"  added  Fly,  shutting 


THE   HEN-HOUSES.  155 

her  eyes,   and  putting  a  sprig  of  cedar  in 
her  mouth,  by  way  of  experiment. 

"You  little  goosie,"  said  Prudy;  "when 
xLunt  Madge  was  crying  so  about  Maria,  I 
did  think  you  were  a  hard-hearted  thing  to 
look  up  and  laugh ;  but  now,  I  don't 
believe  you  knew  any  better/' 

"  Hard-hearted  things  will  soften,"  said 
auntie,  kissing  the  baby's  puzzled  face, 
"  Little  bits  of  green  apples,  how  hard  they 
are  !  but  they  keep  growing  mellow." 

"0,  you  little  green  apple/'  cried  Dotty, 
pinching  Fly's  cheek. 

"  I  was  rather  hard-hearted,  if  I  remem 
ber,  when  I  was  an  apple  of  that  size/' 
continued  Aunt  Madge.  "I  could  tell  you 
of  a  few  cruel  things  I  said  and  did," 

"  Tell  them,"  said  Horace ;  "  please  'fess." 

"  Yes,  auntie,  naughty  things  are  so  in 
teresting.  Do  begin  and.  tell  all  about  it." 


156  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"Not  on  the  street,  dears.  Some  time, 
during  the  holidays,  I  may  turn  story-tell 
er,  if  you  wish  it;  but  here  we  are  at 
the  ferry ;  now  look  out  for  the  mud." 

"  0,  what  a  place,"  cried  Fly,  clinging 
to  Horace,  and  trying  to  walk  on  his  boots. 
"  Just  like  where  grampa  keeps  his  pig  !" 

"  How  true,  little  sister  !  but  you  needn't 
use  my  feet  for  a  sidewalk.  I'll  take  you 
up  in  my  arms.  It  snowed  in  the  night; 
but  that  makes  it  all  the  muddier." 

"  Yes,  it  doesn't  do  snow  any  good  to 
fall  into  New  York  mud/'  said  Aunt 
Madge  ;  "  it  is  like  touching  pitch." 

"  I  thought  it  felt  like  pitch/'  remarked 
Dotty  ;  "  sticks  to  your  boots  so." 

"  But,  then,  overhead  how  beautiful  it 
is !"  said  Prudy.  « I  should  think  the 
dirty  earth  would  be  ashamed  to  look  up 
at  such  a  clear  sky." 


THE    HEX-HOUSES.  157 

"But  the  sky  don't  mind/'  returned 
Horace  ;  "  it  always  overlooks  dirt." 

"How  very  sharp  we  are  getting!" 
laughed  anntie;  "we  have  begun  the  day 
brilliantly.  Any  more  remarks  from  any 
body  ?" 

"  I  should  like  to  know,"  said  Dotty, 
"what  all  those  great  wooden  things  are 
made  for?  I  never  saw  such  big  hen 
houses  before !" 

"Hear  her  talk!"  exclaimed  auntie. 
"  Hen-houses,  indeed  !  Why,  that  is  Ful 
ton  Market.  I  shall  take  you  through  it 
when  we  come  back.  You  can  buy  any 
thing  in  there,  from  a  live  eel  to  a  book 
of  poetry." 

" 4  In  mud  eel  is,' "  quoted  Horace.  "Reck 
on  I'll  buy  one,  auntie,  and  carry  it  home 
in  a  piece  of  brown  paper.  I  believe  Dotty 
is  fond  of  eels." 


158  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTKAY. 

"Fond  of  eels!  "Why,  Horace  Clifford, 
you  know  I  can't  bear  'em,  any  more'n  a 
snake.  If  you  do  such  a  thing,  Horace 
Clifford!" 

Here  Prudy  gave  her  talkative  sister  a 
pinch ;  for  they  were  surrounded  by  people, 
and  Aunt  Madge  was  giving  ferry-tickets 
to  a  man  who  stood  in  a  stall,  and  brushed 
them  towards  him  into  a  drawer. 

"Does  he  stay  in  it  all  night?"  whis 
pered  Fly ;  "  he  can't  lie  down,  no  more'n 
a  hossy  can." 

"Here,  child,  don't  try  to  get  down  out 
of  my  arms.  I  must  carry  you  into  the 
boat.  Do  you  suppose  I'd  trust  those  wee, 
wee  feet  to  go  flying  over  East  River  ?" 

"For  don't  we  know  she  has  wings  on 
her  heels  ?"  said  Aunt  Madge. 

Fly  twisted  around  one  of  her  little 
rubbers,  and  looked  at  it.  She  understood 


THE    HEN-HOUSES.  159 

the  joke,  but  thought  it  too  silly  to  laugh 
at.  East  River  lay  smiling  in  the  sun, 
white  with  sails. 

"Almost  as  pretty  as  our  Casco  Bay/' 
said  Dotty.  "'  Winona;'  is  that  the  boat 
we  are  going  in  ?  But,  Horace,  you  must 
cross  to  the  other  side,  where  it  says 
'  Gentlemen's  Cabin.' ' 

"How  kind  you  are  to  take  care  of  me! 
Wish  you'd  take  as  good  care  of  yourself, 
Cousin  Dimple." 

And  Horace  walked  straight  into  the 
"  Ladies'  Cabin."  There  were  more  men  in 
it,  though,  than  womem;  so  he  had  the 
best  side  of  the  argument. 

"Horace,"  said  Aunt  Madge,  as  they 
seated  themselves,  "  where  is  your  money  ?" 

"  Money?  O,  in  the  breast  pocket  of 
my  coat." 

"But   don't  you   remember,   my  boy,   I 


160  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

advised  you  to  leave  it  at  home?  See 
that  placard,  right  before  your  eyes/1 

" '  Beware  of  Pickpockets !' "  read  Horace. 
"  Well,  auntie,  I  intend  to  beware/' 

Mrs.  Allen  did  not  like  his  lord-of-crea- 
tion  tone.  It  was  not  exactly  disrespect 
ful.  He  adored  his  aunt,  and  did  not 
mean  to  snub  her.  At  the  same  time 
he  had  paid  no  attention  to  her  advice, 
and  his  cool,  self-possessed  way  of  setting 
it  one  side  was  very  irritating.  If  Mrs. 
Allen  had  not  been  the  sweetest  of  women, 
she  would  have  enjoyed  boxing  his  ears. 

"  I  wish  he  was  two  years  younger,  and 
then  he  would  have  to  obey  me,"  thought 
she ;  "  but  I  don't  like  to  lay  my  com 
mands  on  a  boy  of  fourteen." 

The  truth  was,  Horace  had  a  large 
swelling  on  the  top  of  his  head,  known 
by  the  name  of  self-esteem ;  and  it  had 


THE    HEN-HOUSES.  161 

got  bruised  a  little  the  day  before,  when 
he  was  obliged  to  stand  one  side,  and 
let  his  aunt  manage  about  finding  Flya 
way. 

"I  suppose  she  thinks  I'm  a  ninny,  just 
because  I  don't  understand  this  bothersome 
city;  but  I  reckon  I  know  a  thing  or  two, 
if  I  don't  live  in  New  York ! " 

And  the  foolish  boy  really  took  some 
satisfaction  in  slapping  his  breast  pockets, 
and  remarking  to  his  friends, — 

"  'Twould  take  a  smart  chap  to  get  his 
hand  in  there  without  my  knowing  it,  0, 
Prudy,  where's  your  wallet?  And  yours, 
Dotty  ?  I  can  carry  them  as  well  as  not. 
There's  no  knowing  what  kind  of  a  muss 
you  may  be  getting  into  before  night." 

Prudy  gave  up  hers  without  a  word, 
but  Dotty  demurred. 

"I  guess  I've   got  eyes  both   sides  my 
11 


162  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

head,  just  the   same   as   Horace  has,  if  I 
am  a  girl." 

She  and  Cousin  Horace  usually  agreed, 
but  this  visit  had  begun  wrong. 

"Very  well,  Dot;  if  you  think  'twould 
be  any  consolation  to  you  to  have  some 
body  come  along  with  a  pair  of  scissors, 
and  snip  off  your  pocket,  I  don't  know 
as  it's  any  of  my  business." 

"  See  if  they  do,"  replied  Dotty,  clutch 
ing  her  pocket  in  her  right  hand. 

They  had  been  speaking  in  loud  tones, 
and  perhaps  had  been  overheard;  for  two 
men,  on  the  same  seat,  began  to  talk  of 
the  unusual  number  of  robberies  that  had 
happened  within  a  few  days  and  to  won 
der  "what  we  were  coming  to  next."  In 
consequence  of  this,  Dotty  pinned  up  her 
pocket.  When  they  reached  Brooklyn,  she 
gave  her  left  hand  to  Horace,  in  stepping 


THE    HEN-HOUSES.  163 

off  the  boat,  and  walked  up  Fulton  Street, 
with  her  right  hand  firmly  grasping  the 
skirt  of  her  dress. 

"  Good  for  you,  Dimple!"  said  Horace, 
in  a  low  tone';  "  that's  one  way  of  letting 
people  know  you've  got  money.  Look 
behind  you !  There's  been  a  man  follow 
ing  you  for  some  time." 

"Where?  O,  where?"  cried  Dotty, 
whirling  round  and  round  in  wild  alarm ; 
"I  don't  see  a  man  anywhere  near." 

"  And  there  isn't  one  to  be  seen,"  said 
Aunt  Madge,  laughing ;  "  there's  nobody  fol 
lowing  you  but  Horace  himself.  He  had 
no  right  to  frighten  you  so." 

"  Horace  ! "  echoed  Dotty,  with  infinite 
scorn ;  "  I  don't  call  him  a  man !  He's 
nothing  but  a  small  boy ! " 

"  A  small  boy  ! "  She  had  finished  the 
business  now. 


164  LITTLE    FOLKS    ASTRAY. 

"The  hateful  young  monkey!"  thought 
Horace.  "  I  shouldn't  care  much  if  she 
did  have  her  pocket  picked." 

If  he  had  meant  a  word  of  this,  which 
he  certainly  did  not,  he  was  well  paid  for 
it  afterwards. 

They  went  to  Greenwood  Cemetery, 
which  Dotty  had  to  confess  was  handsomer 
than  the  one  in  Portland.  Fly  thought 
there  were  nice  places  to  "hide  ahind  the 
little  white  houses,"  which  frightened  her 
brother  so  much,  that  he  carried  her  in 
his  arms  every  step  of  the  way.  After 
strolling  for  some  time  about  Greenwood, 
and  taking  a  peep  at  Prospect  Park,  they 
left  the  "  city  of  churches,"  and  entered 
a  crowded  car  to  go  back  to  the  ferry. 

"  Look  out  for  our  money,"  whispered 
Prudy;  "you  know  auntie  says  a  car  is 
the  very  place  to  lose  it  in." 


THE    HEX-HOUSES.  165 

"  Yes ;  I'll  look  out  for  your  pile,  Prue, 
though  I  dare  say  you  don't  feel  quite  so 
easy  about  it  as  you  would  if  Dot  had  it." 

"  Now,  Horace,  don't  be  cross  ;  you  know 
it  isn't  often  I  have  so  much  money." 

Aunt  Madge  here  gave  both  the  chil 
dren  a  very  expressive  glance,  as  much  as 
to  say, — 

"  Don't  mention  private  affairs  in  such  a 
crowd." 

Colonel  Allen  said  if  his  wife  had  been 
born  deaf  and  dumb  nobody  would  have 
mistrusted  it,  for  she  could  talk  with  her 
eyes  as  well  as  other  people  with  their 
tongues. 

When  they  were  on  the  Few  York  side 
once  more,  Mrs.  Allen  said, — 

"  Now  I  will  take  you  through  Dotty 'a 
•  hen-houses.      "What    have    we    here  ?      0, 
Christmas  greens." 


166  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

A  woman  stood  at  one  of  the  stands, 
tying  holly  and  evergreens  together  into 
long  strips,  which  she  sold  by  the  yard. 

"  We  must  adorn  the  house,  children. 
I  will  buy  some  of  this,  if  you  will  help 
carry  it  home." 

"  Load  me  down,"  said  Horace  ;  "  I'll  take 
a  mile  of  it." 

"  Loaden  me  down,  too ;  Til  take  it  a 
mile,"  said  Fly. 

"  Give  me  that  beautiful  cross  to  carry, 
auntie." 

"Are  you  willing  to  carry  crosses,  Pru- 
dy  ?  Ah,  you've  learned  the  lesson  young  !  " 

"  I  like  the  star  best,"  said  Dotty ;  "  why 
can't  they  make  suns  and  moons,  too !  " 

"  Will  you  have  a '  hanker,  my  pretty 
miss  ?  "  said  the  woman,  dropping  a  cour 
tesy. 

"  I  never  heard  of  &  hanker;  it  looks  some 


THE   HEN-HOUSES.  167 

like  a  kettle-hook.  Let's  buy  it;  see  how 
nicely  it  fits  on  Fly's  shoulder." 

"  It  would  look  better  for  Fly  to  sit  on 
the  anchor,"  said  Mrs.  Allen,  smiling.  "It 
is  droll  enough  to  see  such  a  big  thing 
walking  off  with  a  little  girl  under  it. 
Come,  children,  we  have  bought  all  we 
can  carry." 

"  Thank  you  kindly,  lady,"  said  the  ever 
green  woman,  with  another  courtesy. 

"  I  don't  see  why  she  need  thank  you 
kindly,  auntie,"  said  Dotty.  "  You  wouldn't 
have  bought  her  wreaths  if  you  hadn't 
liked  'em." 

They  walked  through  a  long  space  lined 
with  such  nice  things  that  the  children's 
mouths  watered  —  oranges,  figs,  grapes, 
pears,  French  chestnuts  larger  than  oil- 
nuts,  and,  as  if  that  were  not  enough, 


168  LITTLE   POLKS   ASTRAY. 

delicious-looking  pies,  cakes,  cold  ham,  and 
doughnuts.  On  little  charcoal  stoves  stood 
coffee-pots ;  and  there  was  a  great  clatter 
ing  of  plates  and  cups  and  saucers,  which 
men  were  washing  in  little  pans,  and  wiping 
on  rather  dark  towels. 

"  It  strikes  me  I  should  enjoy  going 
into  one  of  those  cuddy-holes  and  eating 
my  dinner,"  said  Horace.  "  I  feel  about 
starved." 

"  You  have  a  right  to  be  hungry.  It  is 
two  o'clock.  How  would  you  like  some 
oysters  ?  In  here  is  a  large  room,  with 
tables ;  rather  more  comfortable  than  these 
'  cuddy-holes/  as  you  call  them." 

"  Only  not  nice,"  said  Prudy.  "  0,  Hor 
ace,  if  you  should  go  once  to  an  oyster 
saloon  in  Boston,  you'd  see  the  differ 
ence  ! " 


THE   HEN-HOUSES.  169 

"  The  probability  is,  I've  been  in  Boston 
saloons  twice  to  your  once,  ma'am/' 

Which  was  correct.  She  had  been  once, 
and  he  twice. 


170  LITTLE   FOLKS-  ASTRAY. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

"  GRANNY." 

AUNT  MADGE  seated  her  four  guests  at 
a  little  table. 

"  Will  you  have  oysters  or  scallops  T" 

"  "What  are  scallops?" 

"  They  are  a  sort  of  fish ;  taste  a  little 
like  oysters.  They  come  out  of  those 
small  shells,  such  as  you've  seen  pin-cush 
ions  made  of." 

The  children  thought  they  should  prefer 
oysters  ;  and  after  the  stews  were  ordered, 
Mrs.  Allen  went  out,  and  soon  returned 
with  a  dessert  of  cake,  pie,  and  fruit. 

"  I  thought  I  would  bring  it  all  at  once," 
said  she,  "just  what  I  know  you  will  like  ; 


GRANNY.  171 

and  then  sit  down  and  be  comfortable. 
"We'll  lay  the  wreaths  under  the  table. 
There  are  no  napkins,  girls  (this  isn't 
Boston,  you  know) ;  so  you'd  better  tucli 
your  handkerchiefs  under  your  chins." 

"  But  is  this  the  handsomest  place  they've 
got  in  New  York,  without  any  carpet  to 
it  ?"  whispered  Dotty. 

"  We'll  see,  one  of  these  days,"  replied 
auntie,  with  a  smile  that  spoke  volumes. 

It  was  a  very  jolly  dinner,  and  Mrs. 
Allen  had  to  send  for  three  plates  of  scal 
lops;  for  the  children  found,  after  tasting 
hers,  that  they  were  very  nice;  all  but 
Fly,  who  did  not  relish  them,  and  thought 
it  was  because  she  did  not  like  to  eat  pin 
cushions. 

"Now,  little  folks,  if  you  have  eaten 
sufficiently,  and  are  thoroughly  rested,  shall 
we  start  for  home  ?  I  think  a  journey  to 


172  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

Brooklyn  is  about  enough  for  one  day  — 
don't  you?  But  you  musn't  leave  without 
seeing  Granny." 

"Granny?" 

"  Yes,  I  call  her  so,  and  it  pleases  her. 
She  has  had  a  little  table  in  the  market 
for  a  long  while,  and  I  like  to  buy  some 
of  her  goodies  just  to  encourage  her,  for 
she  has  such  a  way  of  looking  on  the 
bright  side  that  she  wins  my  respect. 
Listen,  now,  while  I  speak  to  her/' 

Auntie's  old  woman  had  on  a  hood  and 
shawl,  and  was  curled  up  in  a  little  heap, 
half  asleep. 

"Pleasant  day,"  said  Mrs.  Allen,  going 
up  to  the  table. 

"  Yes,  mum  ;  nice  weather  underfill,"  re 
turned  the  old  woman,  rousing  herself,  and 
rubbing  an  apple  with  her  shawl. 

"  And  how  do  you  do,  Granny  ?" 


GRANNY.  173 

"Why,  is  that  you?"  said  she,  the  sun 
coming  out  all  over  her  face.  "  And  howVe 
you  been,  mum,  since  the  last  time  I've 
seen  yer?" 

" Very  well,  Granny;  and  how  do  things 
prosper  with  you? " 

"0,  I'm  all  right!  I've  had  a  touch  of 
rheumaty,  and  this  is  the  fust  I've  stirred 
for  two  weeks." 

"  Sorry  to  hear  it,  Granny.  Rheumatism 
can't  be  very  comfortable/' 

"Well,  no;  it's  bahd  for  the  jints,"  said 
the  old  woman,  holding  up  her  fingers, 
which  were  as  shapeless  as  knobby  pota 
toes. 

"Poor  Granny !     How  hard  that  is!" 

"  Well,  they  be  hard,  and  kind  o'  stiff- 
like.  But  bless  ye,"  laughed  she,  "that's 
nothing.  I  wouldn't  'a'  cared,  only  I's 
afeared  I'd  lose  this  stand.  There  was  a 


174  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

gyurl  come  and  kep'  it  for  me,  what  time 
she  could  spare." 

"I'm  glad  you  havn't  lost  the  stand, 
Granny;  but  I  don't  see  how  you  can  laugh 
ftt  the  rheumatism." 

"Well,  mum,  what'd  be  the  use  to  cry? 
Why,  bless  ye,  there's  wus  things'n  that! 
As  long's  I  hain't  got  no  husband,  I  don't 
feel  to  complain  !  " 

She  shook  her  sides  so  heartily  at  this, 
that  Fly  laughed  aloud. 

"  So  you  don't  approve  of  husbands, 
Granny?" 

"No  more  I  don't,  mum  ;  they're  trouble 
some  craychers,  so  fur  as  I've  seen/' 

"But  don't  you  get  down-hearted,  living 
all  alone  ? " 

"0,  no,  mum;  I  do  suppose  I'm  the 
happiest  woman  in  the  city  o'  New  Yorruk. 
When  I  goes  to  bed,  I  just  gives  up  all 


GRANNY.  175 

my  tlirubbles  to  the  Lord,  and  goes  to 
sleep. " 

"  But  when  you  are  sick,  Granny  ?  " 

"  0,  then,  sometimes  I  feels  bahd,  not 
to  be  airnin'  nothing  and  gets  some  afeard 
o'  the  poorhouse ;  but,  bless  ye,  I  can't 
help  thinking  the  Lord'll  keep  me  out." 

"I'm  pretty  sure  He  will,"  said  Aunt 
Madge,  resolving  on  the  spot  that  the  good 
old  soul  never  should  go  to  a  place  she 
dreaded  so  much.  "  Have  you  any  butter 
scotch  to-day,  Granny  ? " 

"  0,  yes,  mum  ;  sights  of  it.  Help  your 
self.  I  want  to  tell  you  something'll  please 
you/'  said  the  old  woman,  bending  forward, 
and  speaking  in  a  low  tone,  and  with  spar 
kling  eyes.  "  I've  put  some  money  in  the 
bank,  mum ;  enough  to  bury  me  !  Ain't 
that  good !  " 

Prudy  and  Dotty  were  terribly  shocked. 


176  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

She  must  be  crazy  to  talk  about  her  own 
funeral.  As  if  she  was  glad  of  it,  too? 
But  Horace  thought  it  a  capital  joke. 

"That's  a  jolly  way  to  use  your  money/' 
whispered  he  to  Prudy;  "much  good  may 
it  do  her?"  And  then  aloud,  in  a  patron 
izing  tone,  "I'll  take  a  few  of  your  apples, 
Granny.  How  do  you  sell  'em?" 

"These  here,  a  penny  apiece;  them  there, 
two  pennies;  and  them,  three." 

Horace  felt  in  his  coat  pocket  for  his 
purse;  and  drew  out  his  hand  quickly,  as 
if  a  bee  had  stung  it. 

"Why,  what!     "What  does  this  mean?" 

"What  is  it,  Horace?" 

a  Nothing,  auntie,  only  my  wallet's  gone," 
replied  the  boy,  very  white  about  the 
mouth. 

"  Gone  ?     Look  again.     Are  you  sure  ? " 

"  Yes,  as  sure  as  I  want  to  be? " 


GRANNY.  177 

"Mine,  —  is  mine  gone  too?"  cried 
Prudy. 

Horace  did  not  seem  willing  to  answer. 

"  Where  did  you  have  your  purse  last?" 

"Just  before  we  came  out  of  Dorlon's 
oyster  saloon.  Just  before  we  came  here 
for  butter-scotch,"  replied  Horace,  glaring 
fiercely  at  Granny. 

"  Are  you  quite  sure?" 

"  Is  mine  gone,  too  ?"  cried  Prudy  again. 
"  Did  you  put  mine  in  the  same  pocket  ?" 

"Yes,  Prue;  I  put  yours  in  the  same 
pocket;  and  it's  gone,  too." 

"  0,  Horace !" 

"  A  pretty  clean  sweep,  Prue/5 

"The  vilyins!"  cried  Granny;  looking, 
auntie  thought,  as  if  her  whole  soul  was 
stirred  with  pity  for  the  children;  but,  as 
Horace  thought,  as  if  she  were  trying  to 
put  a  bold  face  on  a  very  black  crime. 
12 


178  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTB-AY. 

"Let  us  go  back  to  Dorlon's,  and  ask 
the  waiters  if  you  dropped  it  in  there/3 
suggested  Aunt  Madge. 

"  Yes,  but  1  know  I  didritj'  said  Horace, 
with  another  scowl  at  Granny. 

"My  money  is  safe/'  said  self-righteous 
Dotty,  as  they  walked  away;  "don'tyou 
wish  you  had  given  yours  to  me,  Prudy  ?" 

"The  deceitful  old  witch!"  muttered 
Horace  ;  meaning  Granny,  of  course. 

And  lo,  there  she  stood  close  behind 
them  !  She  was  beckoning  Mrs.  Allen  back 
to  her  fruit-stand. 

"  Wait  here  one  minute,  children ;  I'll 
be  right  back." 

"Nothing  mum,"  said  Granny,  looking 
very  much  grieved ;  "  nothin'  only  I  wants 
to  say,  mum,  if  that  youngster  thinks  as 
I  took  his  money,  I  wisht  you'd  sarch 


GRANNY.  179 

"  Fie,  Granny  !  Never  mind  what  a  boy 
like  that  says,  when  he  is  excited.  I  know 
you  too  well  to  think  you'd  steal." 

"The  Lord  bless  yon,  mum/'  cried  the 
old  woman,  all  smiles  again. 

"And,  Granny,  I  mean  to  come  here 
next  week,  and  I'll  bring  you  some  flannel 
and  liniment  for  your  rheumatism.  Where 
shall  I  leave  them  if  you're  sick,  and  can't 
be  here?" 

"  0,  thank  ye,  mum ;  thank  ye  kindly 
The  ain't  many  o'  the  likes  of  you,  mum. 
And  if  ye  does  bring  the  things  for  my 
rheumaty,  and  I  ain't  here,  just  ye  leave 
'em  with  the  gyurl  at  this  stand,  if  yer 
will.'" 

"Did  she  give  it  back?"  cried  HoracS, 
the  moment  his  aunt  appeared. 

"No,  my  boy;  how  could  she  when  she 
hadn't  it  to  give  ?" 


180  LITTLE    FOLKS    ASTRAY. 

"  But,  auntie,  I'm  up  and  down  sure  I 
felt  that  wallet  in  my  breast-pocket,  when 
we  came  out  of  Dorlon's,"  persisted  Hor 
ace.  "I  don't  see  how  on  earth  that  old 
woman  contrived  it;  but  I  can't  help  re 
membering  how  she  kept  leaning  forward 
when  she  talked ;  and  once  she  hit  square 
against  me.  And  just  about  that  time  I 
was  drawing  out  my  handkerchief  to  wipe 
my  nose." 

"  Yes,  he  did !  He  wiped  his  nose. 
And  the  woman  tookened  the  money;  I 
saw  her  do  it." 

"There,  I  told  you  so!" 

"  You  saw  her,  Miss  Policeman  Flya- 
away  ?"  said  Aunt  Madge.  "And  pray  how 
did  she  take  it?" 

"Just  so, — right  in  her  hand." 

"  0,  you  mean  the  money  for  the  butter 
scotch,  you  little  tease !" 


GRANNY.  181 

"  Yes/'  replied  the  child,  with  a  roguish 
twinkle  over  the  sensation  she  had  made. 

"  Just  like  little  bits  o'  flies,"  said  Dotty. 
"Don't  care  how  folks  feel.  And  here's 
her  brother  ready  to  cry;  heart  all  bro 
ken." 

"Needn't  be  concerned  about  my  heart, 
Dot ;  'tisn't  broken  yet ;  only  cracked.  But 
how  anybody  could  get  at  my  pocket,  with 
out  my  knowing  it,  is  a  mystery  to  me,  un 
less  Granny  is  a  witch. 

"  Horace,  I  pledge  you  my  word  Granny 
is  innocent." 

"And  I'm  sure  nobody  else  could  take 
it,  auntie.  The  clerks  at  Dorlon's  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  money;  neither  had  any 
of  the  apple  or  pie  merchants  along  the 
market.  Things  look  darker  for  us,  Prue  ; 
but  I  will  give  you  the  credit  of  behav 
ing  like  a  lady.  And  one  thing  is  sure — 


182  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

the  moment  I  get  home  to  Indiana  I  shall 
send  you  back  your  money." 

"  Horace,"  said  Aunt  Madge,  "  I  am  very 
suspicious  that  you  lost  your  purse  in  one 
of  those  cars,  on  the  Brooklyn  side." 

"  But,  auntie,  I  tell  you  there  couldn't 
anybody  get  at  my  pockets  without  my 
knowing  it !  " 

"Just  as  Prudy  told  you  you  would, 
you  lost  it  in  that  car,"  echoed  Dotty. 
u  Don't  you  remember  what  you  said, 
Prudy  ? " 

"  That's  right ;  hit  him  again,"  growled 
Horace. 

"  Kow,  Dotty,"  said  Prudy,  suppressing 
a  great  sob  in  her  effort  to  "  behave  like 
a  lady,"  "  what's  the  use  ?  Don't  you  sup 
pose  Horace  feels  bad  enough  without  being 
scolded  at?" 

"Auntie   don't   scold,  nor   Prudy   don't, 


GRANNY.  183 

'cause  lie  didn't  mean  to  lose  it,"  said  Fly, 
frowning  at  Dotty,  and  caressing  Horace, 
with  her  hands  full  of  evergreens. 

"  Besides,  he  has  lost  more  than  I  have," 
continued  Prudy. 

"  Well,  a  trifle  more !  Fifty  times  as 
much,  say.  I  shouldn't  care  a  fig, — speak 
ing  figuratively, — only  it  was  all  I  had  to 
get  home  with." 

"  Don't  fret  about  that,"  said  Aunt  Madge ; 
u  I'll  see  that  you  go  home  with  as  full  a 
purse  as  you  brought  to  my  house." 

"0,  auntie,  how  can  I  thank  you?  But 
you  know  father  never  would  allow  that !  " 

"  I  could  tell  you  how  to  thank  me," 
thought  Mrs.  Allen,  though  she  was  so 
kind  she  would  not  tell ;  "  you  could  thank 
me  by  saying,  'Auntie,  I've  been  a  naughty 
boy.'" 

But    Horace    had    no    idea    of   making 


184  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

such  a  confession  as  that.  "  The  money'll 
come  up/3  said  he ;  "  I'm  one  of  the  lucky 
kind.  Let's  see ;  wouldn't  it  be  best  to 
advertise  ? " 

"  Thieves  won't  answer  advertisements," 
said  Mrs.  Allen. 

"  But,  I  tell  you,  auntie,  I  dropped  that 
wallet.  I  could  take  my  oath  of  it." 

"Well,  in  such  a  case  an  advertisement 
is  the  proper  thing.  But,  my  boy,  your 
positiveness  on  this  subject  is  extraordi 
nary.  How  could  you  drop  the  wallet  ? 
Do  you  keep  it  in  the  same  pocket  with 
your  handkerchief?" 

"  On,  no,  auntie  ;  right  in  here." 
"And  you  haven't  bought  anything  ?  " 
"  No,   auntie ;  you  wouldn't  let  me  pay 
the   car   fare,  or   anything  else.     But   still 
I  must  have  taken  out  the  wallet  by  mis- 


GRANNY.  185 

take.  You  see  I  know  nobody's  picked 
my  pockets." 

"Why,  Horace,  you  just  said  Granny 
picked  'em." 

"No,  Dot,  I  didn't!  I  only  spoke  of 
the  queer  way  she  had  of  leaning  for 
ward." 

"  But  you  scowled  at  her  sharp  enough  to 
take  head  off." 

"  If  I  were  you,  Dot,  I  wouldn't  be  any 
more  disagreeable  than  I  was  absolutely 
obliged  to. —  Now,  auntie,  how  much  does 
it  cost  to  advertise  ?  " 

"A  dollar  or  so  I  believe." 

"Well,  if  you'll  lend  me  the  money,  I 
want  to  do  it." 

"  To  be  plain  with  you,  Horace,  I  really 
do  not  think  it  will  be  of  the  slightest 
use  in  this  case;  but  I  will  consent  to 
it  if  it  will  be  any  relief  to  your  mind. 


186  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

We  shall  be  obliged  to  cross  the  ferry 
again,  for  the  advertisement  ought  to  go 
into  a  Brooklyn  paper." 

"  We  are  tired  enough  to  drop/'  said 
Dotty ;  u  and  all  these  stars  and  things, 
too !  " 

"  Yes,  we  are  all  tired ;  but  we  will  leave 
you  little  girls  at  the  ferry-house  on  the 
other  side. 

"But,  auntie/'  said  Prudy,  anxiously,  "I 
shouldn't  really  dare  have  the  care  of  Fly. 
You  know  just  how  it  is." 

"Yes,  I  do  know  just  how  it  is.  Fly 
must  walk,  with  her  tired  little  feet,  to  the 
Eagle  office,  with  Horace  and  me ;  or  else 
she  must  make  a  solemn  promise  not  to 
go  out  of  the  ferry-house." 

"But  I  don't  want  to  make  a  solomon 
promise,  auntie;  I  want  to  see  the  eagle." 

Mrs.  Allen  sighed.     She  began  to  think 


GRANNY.  187 

she  had  undertaken  a  great  task  in  invit 
ing  these  children  to  visit  her.  Instead 
of  a  pleasure,  they  had  proved,  thus  far, 
a  weariness  —  always  excepting  Prudy. 
She,  dear,  self-forgetting  little  girl,  dould 
not  fail  to  be  a  comfort  wherever  she 
went 


188  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTKAY. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE    PUMPKIN   HOOD. 

To  the  " Eagle"  office  they  went  —  ob 
stinate  Horace,  patient  Annt  Madge,  and 
between  them  the  "blue-  bottle  Fly." 

"I  do  feel  right  sorry,  auntie,"  said 
Horace,  a  sudden  sense  of  shame  coming 
over  him;  "but  I'm  so  sure  I  dropped  the 
money,  you  know ;  or  I  wouldn't  drag  you 
up  this  hill  when  you're  so  tired." 

A  sharp  answer  rose  to  Mrs.  Allen's  lips, 
but  she  held  it  back. 

"  Only  a  boy !  In  a  fair  way  to  learn 
a  useful  lesson,  too.  Let  me  keep  my 
temper !  If  I  scold,  I  spoil  the  whole." 


THE    PUMPKIN   HOOD.  189 

They  entered  the  office,  and  left  with  the 
editor  this  advertisement : — 

"Lost. — Between  Prospect  Park  and  Ful 
ton  Ferry,  a  porte-monnaie,  marked  'Horace 
S.  Clifford/  containing  thirty-five  dollars. 
The  finder  will  be  suitably  rewarded  by 
leaving  the  same  at  No.  — ,  Cor.  Fifth  Ave. 
and  — —  Street.'* 

"  It  is  no  matter  about  advertising  Pru- 
dy's  purse,  it  was  so  shabby,"  said  Aunt 
Madge;  and  on  their  way  back  to  the 
ferry-house  she  bought  her  another. 

"  0,  thank  you,  auntie,  darling/'  said 
Prudy;  "and  thank  you,  too,  Horace,  for 
losing  my  old  one ;  it  wasn't  fit  to  be  seen. 
And  here  is  a  whole  dollar  inside !  0, 
Aunt  Madge,  are  you  an  angel  ?  " 

"Prue,  you  deserve  your  good  luck; 
you  don't  come  down  on  a  fellow,  hammer 
and  tongs,  because  he  happens  to  meet 
with  an  accident." 


190  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"  Horace,"  said  Dotty,  meekly,  "  are  you 
willing  to  carry  my  gloves  ? " 

"Yes,  to  be  sure;  but  you  don't  want 
to  go  home  bare-handed — do  you  ? " 

"  Why,  I  was  thinking  how  nice  'twould 
be,  Horace,  to  have  you  take  'em,  and  lose 
'em,  and  me  have  a  new  pair.  There's  a 
hole  in  the  thumb." 

This  little  sally  amused  everybody,  and 
Horace  had  the  grace  not  to  be  sensitive, 
though  the  laugh  was  against  him. 

"Another  queer  day,"  said  he,  when 
they  were  at  last  at  home  again.  "  I  don't 
know  what  will  become  of  us  all,  if  we 
keep  on  like  this." 

The  poor  boy  was  trying  his  best  to 
brave  it  out;  but  Aunt  Madge  could  see 
that  his  heart  was  sore. 

"  Lost  every  cent  I'm  worth,"  mused  he, 
turning  his  coat-pocket  inside  out,  and 


THE    PUMPKIN   HOOD.  191 

scowling  at  it.  "  Got  to  be  a  beggar  as 
long  as  I  stay  in  New  York !  " 

The  whole  party  were  tired,  and  Hor 
ace's  gloom  seemed  to  fill  the  parlor  like 
a  fog,  and  make  even  the  gas  look  dim. 

"I  feel  dreffly,"  said  Fly,  curling  her 
head  under  her  brother's  arm,  like  a 
chicken  under  its  mother's  wing — a  way 
she  had  when  she  was  troubled.  "  I  feel 
just  zif  I  didn't  love  nobody  in  the  world, 
and  there  didn't  nobody  love  me." 

This  brought  Horace  around  in  a  min 
ute,  and  called  forth  a  pickaback  ride. 

"Music!  let  us  have  music,"  said  Aunt 
Madge,  flying  to  the  piano.  "  When  little 
folks  grow  so  cold-hearted,  in  my  house, 
that  they  don't  love  anybody,  it's  time  to 
warm  their  hearts  with  some  happy  little 
songs.  Come,  girls  !  " 

She  played  a  few  simple  tunes,  and  the 


192  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

children  all  sang  till  the  fog  of  gloom  had 
disappeared,  and  the  gas  burned  brightly 
once  more. 

Half  an  hour  afterwards,  just  as  Fly 
'was  told  she  ought  to  be  sleepy,  because 
her  bye-low  hymn  had  been  sung, — "  Sleep, 
little  one,  like  a  lamb  in  the  fold," — and 
she  had  answered  that  she  "couldn't  be 
sleepy,  athout  auntie  would  hurry  quick 
to  come  in  with  a  drink  of  water,"  there 
was  a  strange  arrival.  Nathaniel,  the  wait 
ing  man,  ushered  into  the  parlor  a  droll 
little  old  woman,  dressed  in  a  short  calico 
gown,  with  gay  figures  over  it  as  large  as 
cabbages ;  calf-skin  shoes ;  and  a  green 
pumpkin  hood,  with  a  bow  on  top. 

"  Good  evening,  ma'am,"  said  Horace, 
rising,  and  offering  her  a  chair.  She  did 
not  seem  to  see  very  well,  in  spite  of  her 
enormous  spectacles  ;  for  she  took  no  notice 


THE  PUMPKIN   HOOD  -Page  193. 


THE    PUMPKIN   HOOD.  193 

of  the  chair,  and  remained  standing  \u  the 
middle  of  the  floor,  ,, ;; 

"She  stares  at  me  so  hard!"  thought 
Horace — "that's  the  reason  she  can't  see 
anything  else." — "Please  take  a  chair^ 
ma'am." 

"  Can't  stop  to  sit  down.  Is  your  name 
Horace  &  Clifford?"  said  the  old  woman, 
in  a  very  feeble  voice, 

Horace  looked  at  her;  she  had  not  a 
tooth  in  her  head. 

"Yes,  ma'am;  my  name  is  Horace  Clif 
ford,"  said  he,  respectfully.  He  had  great 
reverence  for  age,  and  could  keep  his 
mouth  from  twitching;  but  I'm  sorry  to 
say  Prudy's  danced  up  at  the  corners,  and 
Dotty's  opened  and  showed  her  back  teeth 
The  woman  must  have  had  all  those  clothes 
made  when  she  was  young,  for  nobody 
13 


194  LITTLE    FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

wore  such  things  now;  but  it  wasn't  likely 
she  knew  that,  poor  soul! 

"Did  you  go  to  the  ' Brooklyn  Eagle 9 
office,  to-day,  to  ad-^er-tise  some  lost 
money,  little  boy?" 

"  Yes,  ma'am. — Why,  that  advertisement 
can't  have  been  printed  so  quick! " 

"No,  I  calculate  not.  Did  you  go  in 
with  a  lady,  and  a  leetle,  oneasy,  springy 
kind  of  a  leetle  girl  ?." 

"  Why,  that's  me,"  put  in  Fly. 

"Yes,  ma'am — yes;  were  you  there? 
What  do  you  know  about  it?" 

"  Don't  be  in  a  hurry,  little  boy.  I  want 
to  be  safe  and  sure.  I  expect  you  took 
notice  of  a  young  man  in  a  bottle-green 
coat, — na,  a  greenish-black  coat, — a-sittin' 
down  by  the  door/' 

"  0,.  I  don't  know.  Yes,  I  think  I  did. 
Was  he  the  one?  Did  he  fin-d  the  money?  " 


THE    PUMPKIN    HOOD.  195 

"Did  you  walk  up  Orange  Street?"  con 
tinued  the  old  woman.  "No,  I  mean  Cran 
berry  Street?" 

"0,  dear,  I  don't  know!  Prudy,  run, 
call  Aunt  Madge.  Please  tell  me,  ma'am, 
have  you  got  it  with  you?  Is  my  name 
on  the  inside?  " 

"  Wait  till  the  little  girl  calls  your  aunt. 
Perhaps  she'd  be  willing  to  let  me  tell 
the  story  in  my  own  way.  I'd  ruther  deal 
with  grown  folks,"  said  the  provoking  old 
lady. 

Horace's  eyes  flashed,  but  he  contrived 
to  keep  his  temper. 

"It  is  my  purse,  ma'am,  and  my  aunt 
knows  nothing  about  it.  I  can  tell  you 
just  how  it  looks,  and  all  there  is  in  it." 

"Perhaps  you  are  one  of  the  kind  that 
can  tell  folks  a  good  deal,  and  thinks  no 
body  knows  things  so  well  as  yourself," 


196  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

returned  the  disagreeable  old  woman,  smil 
ing  and  showing  her  toothless  gums. 
"From  what  I  can  learn,  I  should  judge 
you  talked  ruther  too  loud  about  your 
money;  for  there  was  a  pusson  heerd  you 
in  the  ferry-boat,  and  took  pains  to  go  in 
the  same  car  afterwards,  and  pick  your 
pocket." 

"  Pick— my— pocket  ? " 

"Yes,  your  pocket.  You  wise,  wonder 
ful  young  man!" 

"How?     When?     "Where?" 

"This  is  how,"  said  the  old  woman, 
quick  as  a  thought  putting  out  her  hand, 
and  thrusting  it  into  Horace"'s  breast  pocket. 

"0,  it's  auntie's  rings — it's  Auntie's 
rings,"  cried  Fly,  jumping  up,  and  seizing 
the  pretended  old  woman  by  her  calico 
sleeve. 

"Why,  Aunt  Madge,  that  isn't  you !" 


THE    PUMPKIN    HOOD.  197 

"But  how'd  you  take  out  yer  teeth?" 
said  Fly ;  "  your  teeth  ?  your  teeth  ?" 

"  0,  I  didn't  take  them  out,  Miss  Bright- 
eyes.  I  only  put  a  little  spruce  -gum  over 

them." 

"1 
"  Hordfce,  I  can't  find  auntie  anywhere  in 

this  house,"  said  Prudy,  appearing  at  the 
parlor  door.  "  Do  you  suppose  she's  gone 
off  and  hid  ?" 

"Yes,  she's  hid  inside  that  old  gown." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"That's  auntie,  and  her  teeth's  in,"  ex 
plained  Fly. 

"  Only  I  wish  she  was  an  old  woman, 
and  had  really  brought  me  my  money," 
said  Horace,  in  a  disappointed  tone.  "  I 
declare,  there  was  one  time  I  thought  the 
old  nuisance  was  coming  round  to  it,  and 
going  to  give  me  the  wallet." 

"What  a  wise,  wonderful  youth !"  said 


198  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

the  aged  dame,  in  a  cracked  voice.  "  Thinks 
I  can  give  him  his  wallet,  when  he's  got 
it  himself,  right  close  to  his  heart." 

Horace  put  his  hand  in  his  breast  pocket. 

"Wonder  of  wonders !  There  was  the 
wallet !  And  not  only  his,  but  Prudy's ! 
Had  he  been  asleep  all  day  ?  Or  was  he 
asleep  now? 

"  Money  safe  ?  Not  a  cent  gone.  Hoo- 
rah !  Hoo-ra-ah !" 

And  for  want  of  a  cap  to  throw,  he 
threw  up  Fly. 

"  Where  did  it  come  from  ?  Where  did 
the  old  woman  find  it?  0,  no;  the  man 
in  the  green-bottle  coat  ?  —  0,  no ;  there 
wasn't  any  old  woman,"  cried  the  children, 
hopelessly  confused.  "  But  who  found  the 
money?  Did  I  drop  it  on  Cranberry 
Street?"  "Did  he  drop  it  on  Quamby 
Street?"  "Who  brought  it?"  Who 
bringed  it?" 


THE    PUMPKIN    HOOD.  199 

Aunt  Madge  stuffed  her  fingers  into  her 
ears.  "  They  are  all  talking  at  once ; 
they're  enough  to  craze  a  body !  They 
forget  how  old  I  am  1  Came  all  the  way 
from  the  Eagle  office,  afoot  and  alone, 
with  only  four  children  to  — " 

"  O,  auntie,  don't  play  any  more !  Talk 
sober !  Talk  honest !  Did  Horace  have  his 
pockets  picked?" 

"  Yes,  he  did,'*  replied  Aunt  Madge, 
speaking  in  her  natural  tones,  and  throwing 
off  the  pumpkin  hood ;  "  if  you  want  the 
truth,  he  did/' 

"  Why  Aunt  Madge  Allen  !  It  does  not 
seem  possible  !  Who  picked  my  pockets  V9 

"  Some  one  who  heard  you  talking  so 
loud  about  your  money." 

"  But  how  could  it  be  taken  out,  and  I 
not  know  it?" 

"  Quite  as  easily  as  it  could  be  put  back, 
and  you  not  know  it." 


200  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

"That's  true,  Horace  Clifford!  Auntie 
put  it  back,  and  you  never  knew  it.'3 

"So  she  did/'  said  Horace,  looking  as 
bewildered  as  if  he  had  been  whirling 
around  with  his  eyes  shut  \  "  so  she  did — 
didn't  she  ?  But  that  was  because  I  was 
taken  by  surprise,  seeing  her  Without  a 
tooth  in  her  head,  you  know." 

"  You  have  been  taken  by  surprise  twice 
to-day,  then,"  said  Aunt  Madge,  demurely. 
"It  is  really  refreshing,  Horace,  to  find 
that  such  a  sharp  young  man  can  be 
caught  napping !" 

"Well,  I — I — I  must  have  been  think 
ing  of  something  else,  auntie." 

"  So  I  conclude.  And  you  must  be  think 
ing  of  something  else  still,,  or  you'd  ask 
me—  " 

"O,  yes,  auntie;  how  did  the  thief  hap 
pen  to  give  it  up  ?  There,  there,  you 


THE    PUMPKIN    HOOD.  201 

needn't  say  a  word  1  I  see  it  all  in  your 
eyes!  You  took  the  money  yourself.  0, 
Aunt  Madge  1 

"  Well,  if  that  wasn't  queer  doings !" 
cried  Dotty. 

"Yes,  it  is  quite  contrary  to  my  usual 
habits.  I"  never  robbed  anybody  before. 
I  hadn't  the  faintest  idea  I  could  do  it 
without  Horace's  knowledge.'' 

"  Why,  auntie,  I  never  was  so  astonished 
in  my  life !"  said  the  youth,  looking  great 
ly  confused. 

"  I  never  heard  of  a  person's  being 
robbed  that  wasn't  astonished,"  said  Aunt 
Madge,  with  a  mischievous  smile.  "Will 
you  be  quite  as  sure  of  yourself  another 
time,  think  1" 

"No,  auntie,  I  shan't;  that's  a  fact/' 

"  That's  my  good,  frank  boy,"  said  Aunt 
Madge,  kissing  his  forehead.  "And  he 


202  LITTLE   FOLKS   ASTRAY. 

won't  toss  his  head, — just  this  way, — 
like  a  young  lord  of  creation,  when  med 
dlesome  aunties  venture  to  give  him  advice." 

Horace  kissed  Mrs.  Allen's  cheek  rather 
thoughtfully,  by  way  of  reply. 

"I  don't  see,  Aunt  Madge,"  said  Prudy, 
"why  you  went  back  across  the  river  to 
put  that  piece  in  the  paper,  when  you 
were  the  one  that  had  the  money  all  the 
time." 

"I  did  it  to  pacify  Horace.  He  knew 
his  pockets  hadn't  been  picked.  Besides 
I  felt  guilty.  It  was  rather  cruel  in  me 
— wasn't  it? — to  let  him  suffer  so  long." 

"Not  cruel  a  bit;  good  enough  forme," 
cried  Horace,  with  a  generous  outburst. 
"You're  just  the  jolliest  woman,  auntie  — 
the  j oiliest  woman!  There  you  are;  you 
look  so  little  and  sweet!  But  if  folks 


THE    PUMPKIN    HOOD.  203 

think  they're  going  to  get  ahead  of  you, 
why,  just  let  'em  try  it,  say  I !" 

DEAR  HEADERS  :  Horace  was  scarcely 
more  astonished,  when  his  pocket  was 
picked,  than  I  am  this  minute,  to  find 
myself  at  the  end  of  my  book !  I  had 
very  much  more  to  tell ;  but  now  it  must 
wait  till  another  time. 

Meanwhile  the  Parlins  and  Cliffords  are 
"climbing  the  dream  tree."  Let  us  hope 
they  are  destined  to  meet  with  no  more 
misfortunes  during  the  rest  of  their  stay  in 
New  York. 


[Clarke,  Reb 
Tittle    fol> 

ecca  S.j 
c    n  fit  rflv 

956 
C599 

^•JL 

24  1942 

X* 

956 


JL 


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